hesitant
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hesitant
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin haesitant-, stem of haesitāns “faltering,” present participle of haesitāre “to falter, hesitate,” literally, “to stick repeatedly,” from haerēre “to stick, cling”
Explanation
When you’re feeling hesitant, you aren’t sure what to do, so instead of taking action you wait a little, biding your time until you figure out what option is best. The Latin word haesitant translates as “being undecided,” and not being able to decide is exactly what makes you hesitant. Being hesitant will make you hesitate for a bit, waiting to see what happens next. Nervousness or fear will make your actions hesitant, like when trying to walk across a rickety wooden bridge. Should you keep going or turn back? Your hesitant steps show that you’re still wrestling with that question. Whatever you decide, don’t look down.
Vocabulary lists containing hesitant
The Diary of Anne Frank
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The Hate U Give
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But many companies were hesitant and said they would need security guarantees and an overhaul of Venezuela’s legal and commercial framework to consider diving in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Research shows that employers think that those who “opt out” of their jobs aren’t ideal employees, and are therefore more hesitant to hire them.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
The witness, who said he had little love for Davis, remained hesitant when he took the stand on Tuesday to recount what happened.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Nall said while she is hesitant to use the word “optimistic,” she has been seeing improvements in AI’s answers since they’ve been doubling down on their efforts to influence LLMs.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
Mouth dry, I took a hesitant step forward.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
