hesitation
Americannoun
-
the act of hesitating; a delay due to uncertainty of mind or fear.
His hesitation cost him the championship.
-
a state of doubt or uncertainty.
- Synonyms:
- vacillation, irresolution, indecision, hesitancy
-
a halting or faltering in speech.
- Synonyms:
- stammer
Other Word Forms
- prehesitation noun
Etymology
Origin of hesitation
First recorded in 1615–25, hesitation is from the Latin word haesitātiōn- (stem of haesitātiō ). See hesitate, -ion
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.
However, the one-hour chart shows two bullish divergences on the relative strength index, with lower “wicks” signaling hesitation to break lower immediately, he says.
So watching two-time world champion Malinin fall to his first defeat in over two years, she responded without hesitation.
From Barron's
“No,” he said without hesitation or further elaboration.
From Los Angeles Times
"I would do the same again," he said, without hesitation.
From Barron's
So when Ilya offers him a tuna melt in episode four — something warm, messy, unfamiliar — and Shane accepts without hesitation, it’s not small.
From Salon
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.
