hesitate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
She hesitated to take the job.
- Antonyms:
- decide
-
to have scruples or doubts; be unwilling.
He hesitated to break the law.
-
to pause.
I hesitated before reciting the next line.
- Antonyms:
- hasten
-
to falter in speech; stammer.
Embarrassment caused the speaker to hesitate.
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
Other Word Forms
- hesitater noun
- hesitatingly adverb
- hesitation noun
- hesitative adjective
- hesitator noun
- prehesitate verb (used without object)
Etymology
Origin of hesitate
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin haesitātus “faltered,” past participle of haesitāre “to falter”; hesitant
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.
More than 20 countries have said they are ready to help “ensure safe passage through the strait,” but many of them will hesitate to enter an active war zone.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Overall, if LNG is seen as too volatile, countries may hesitate to build infrastructure around it at all.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
While those issues have improved, many physicians still hesitate to prescribe them.
From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026
The fear of making mistakes made him hesitate.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
I ease my hand out of Mom’s and hesitate at the door.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
