hesitation
Americannoun
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hesitations
plural
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the act of hesitating; a delay due to uncertainty of mind or fear.
His hesitation cost him the championship.
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a state of doubt or uncertainty.
- Synonyms:
- vacillation, irresolution, indecision, hesitancy
-
a halting or faltering in speech.
- Synonyms:
- stammer
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hesitation
First recorded in 1615–25, hesitation is from the Latin word haesitātiōn- (stem of haesitātiō ). See hesitate, -ion
Explanation
A hesitation is a pause. If your friend asks you, "Do you like my new haircut?" you'd better make sure there's not a second's hesitation before you answer, "Yes, of course!" Hesitation happens when you feel uncertainty or doubt. It can be a pause in speech, a faltering moment before you act, or a silent second of indecision. If your friend's dog is growling and staring you down, but she tells you he won't bite, that feeling that something not feeling right that stops you from petting him is hesitation. The Latin root of hesitation is haesitationem, which means irresolution or uncertainty.
Vocabulary lists containing hesitation
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Catching Fire
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Slam!
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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:
Reaves’ moment came late in the second quarter when he had a nice hesitation move that froze Emanuel Sharp, allowing him to waltz along the baseline for a layup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
And then there is Bolivian chef Marsia Taha, who used the festival to introduce diners to an ingredient they might otherwise approach with some hesitation.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
The experience has left her frustrated with what she sees as hesitation by some of Ukraine's foreign partners to provide additional air-defence missiles.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Local pensioner Kevin Bridgeman said he would have no hesitation greeting Trump if their paths crossed.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Fischer, without hesitation, tapped Spassky’s right hand—and Spassky opened it to reveal the black pawn.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Retailers with hesitations cite concerns over controlling consumer data, the customer experience, fraudulent purchases and inventory hoarding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
When that was met with no hesitations, that was a pivotal part of me taking this job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Let’s start with the big “why” for your efforts, because that may solve all of your hesitations in one fell swoop.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026
When you do have moments where you go I think this might be going too far or This is too mean-spirited, how do those hesitations manifest for you?
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2025
“But of course!” he cried, making up for his first hesitations with an excess of noisy cordiality.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
