hesitate
verb (used without object)
to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
had hesitated
-
past perfectof hesitate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Continental was one of several U.S. oil companies that had hesitated for months to commit large amounts of capital to Venezuela.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
They said they had hesitated because Kitagawa had not been arrested.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 13, 2023
Chu had hesitated to give up her hard-earned job security, even as she watched friends quit work and travel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2023
Parker had hesitated at first to join the defamation case.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 13, 2022
His father, Gaston, had hesitated, looking suddenly stricken for reasons Bobby could not fathom, but finally said he would send him the addresses later, if the crew really went to Europe.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
