hesitate
verb (used without object)
to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
hesitated
-
past participleof hesitate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof hesitate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
hesitateverb (used without object)to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
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.
Brighton's pressure meant Arsenal hesitated on the ball, forcing them to make decisions they normally wouldn't.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
When that understanding broke down, Saudi Arabia, focused on Iran, hesitated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Catalina Sanchez, a 64-year-old secretary who celebrated with her daughters until 4:00 am, hesitated to remove her sunglasses as she headed to work.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
But at the last second, Pages pulled up to let Tucker make the catch, and Tucker hesitated before flailing after it.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Dad hesitated, and I knew I couldn’t bear to hear him talk about it, not here, not in front of Mikayla and her mom.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
