Synonyms

hesitate

American

[hez-i-teyt] / ˈhɛz ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used without object)

to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.

She hesitated to take the job.

Synonyms:

falter, vacillate, waver

Antonyms:

decide
to have scruples or doubts; be unwilling.

He hesitated to break the law.
to pause.

I hesitated before reciting the next line.

Synonyms:

delay, demur

Antonyms:

hasten
to falter in speech; stammer.

Embarrassment caused the speaker to hesitate.

hesitate British

/ ˈhɛzɪˌteɪt /

verb

to hold back or be slow in acting; be uncertain
to be unwilling or reluctant (to do something)
to stammer or pause in speaking

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Present

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Etymology

Origin of hesitate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin haesitātus “faltered,” past participle of haesitāre “to falter”; see hesitant

Explanation

To hesitate is to pause before doing something, often out of concern or worry. If you're playing basketball and have a wide-open shot but don't take it right away, you hesitated. Maybe you felt too much pressure to shoot the ball. When people are nervous or worried, they tend to hesitate. Hesitating while speaking is common. In class, if you're not sure you have the right answer, you'll hesitate. When giving bad news, people often hesitate. Sometimes it makes sense to hesitate and sometimes you just need to do what you have to do.

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Vocabulary lists containing hesitate

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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.

See Examples For:

hesitate hesitates hesitated hesitating

If you asked me to name the greatest piece of modern food media, I would hesitate.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

So, while in Santa Monica, Calif., I didn’t hesitate to summon a Waymo for the 2-mile ride to our hotel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X that "we will not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention", citing economic security and the US-Japan alliance as some of the reasons behind it.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

"We will not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention," he said, citing economic security and the US-Japan alliance as part of reasons behind it.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

This was to become the standard textbook in advanced astronomy for the whole of the sixteenth century, and in it Peuerbach and Regiomontanus did not hesitate to criticize Ptolemy for his errors.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

He hesitates to call what he was doing playing at the professional level.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

The Fed typically hesitates to respond to price spikes caused by changes in energy prices, which are known for being bumpy, but she said the persistent overshoot might make that "harder to do this time".

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026

“I’ve got one or two things around that I think would work — maybe,” he hesitates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026

Most people recognize the familiar situation at a restaurant or dinner party when one plate arrives early and the person served hesitates to start eating.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026

Autumn hesitates, as if suspicious of Ama’s intentions.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

"I was young and I hesitated when thinking about leaving my country, in order to pursue new goals and paths," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Publishers in America hesitated to bring out the book, but when G.P.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Film and TV have not hesitated either, with Epic Games' tech deployed in Star Wars series "The Mandalorian" and Oscar-winning short film "War is Over".

From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026

While 27 states have agreed to use SAVE, others have hesitated, concerned not only about inaccuracies, but also about privacy and the data’s potential to be used in immigration enforcement.

From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2026

I hesitated, but I knew what I had to do.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Some argue the Bank of Japan is hesitating because it fears higher rates on Japanese government debt would further undermine the country’s finances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

"I'm hesitating because I'm speaking on behalf of other people and that's very difficult to do," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

DSA-LA member Anna Gross argued that neither candidate was ideal, with Huang, who has little political experience, being a long shot and Raman hesitating to fully embrace the group.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026

They held them up to the light, pressed them between their fingers, hesitating — until, one by one, they took a bite.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026

In and out, we are swept;. . . we cannot step outside its sinuous, its hesitating, its abrupt, its perfectly encircling walls.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023