hesitant

[hez-i-tuhnt]

adjective

1. hesitating; undecided, doubtful, or disinclined.

2. lacking readiness of speech.

hesitant

/ ˈhɛzɪtənt /

adjective

1. wavering, hesitating, or irresolute

Other Word Forms

• hesitantly adverb
• nonhesitant adjective
• nonhesitantly adverb
• unhesitant adjective
• unhesitantly adverb
• hesitance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hesitant¹

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”

Example Sentences

Despite the success, Key is hesitant to label the band comeback kids, “probably because we are officially passed kids label,” he said.

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Villalobos, who works for refiner Flint Hills Resources, said she is aware of several companies considering opening plants in the region that are now hesitant.

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"For autonomous vehicles, this makes the difference between confident, safe behavior and hesitant, unreliable driving. That is why we developed SmartNav, a type of positioning technology designed for 'urban canyons'," explained Mohamadi.

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Concerned about how a documentary about her might be received, Victoria said she was initially hesitant to agree to the project.

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And businesses have been hesitant to borrow while interest rates are elevated—creating a scarcity of bonds and loans that has helped drive up prices.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• afraid 
• averse 
• doubtful 
• halting 
• indecisive 
• loath 
• reluctant 
• shy 
• skeptical 
• slow 
• tentative 
• timid 
• unsure 
• unwilling