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.
In a speech on Wednesday, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said the bank wouldn’t hesitate in a “forceful or persistent” response should eurozone inflation rise significantly from its 2% target.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
From his living room in Dortmund, Lindel watched young kestrels hesitate before leaping from their nest to a beam just 80 centimetres away.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 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
“Will you be able to endure the discomfort? I hesitate to leave you.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
