hesitate
Americanverb (used without object)
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hesitates,
present (3rd person singular)
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hesitated,
past participle, past
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hesitating
present participle
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to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
She hesitated to take the job.
- Antonyms:
- decide
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to have scruples or doubts; be unwilling.
He hesitated to break the law.
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to pause.
I hesitated before reciting the next line.
- Antonyms:
- hasten
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to falter in speech; stammer.
Embarrassment caused the speaker to hesitate.
verb
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to hold back or be slow in acting; be uncertain
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to be unwilling or reluctant (to do something)
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to stammer or pause in speaking
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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hesitaternoun
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hesitationnoun
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hesitatornoun
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prehesitateverb (used without object)
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hesitativeadjective
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hesitatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hesitatesimple
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hesitatessimple
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have hesitatedperfect
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has hesitatedperfect
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am hesitatingprogressive
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are hesitatingprogressive
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is hesitatingprogressive
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have been hesitatingperfect progressive
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has been hesitatingperfect progressive
Past
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hesitatedsimple
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had hesitatedperfect
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was hesitatingprogressive
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were hesitatingprogressive
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had been hesitatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hesitate
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin haesitātus “faltered,” past participle of haesitāre “to falter”; see hesitant
Explanation
To hesitate is to pause before doing something, often out of concern or worry. If you're playing basketball and have a wide-open shot but don't take it right away, you hesitated. Maybe you felt too much pressure to shoot the ball. When people are nervous or worried, they tend to hesitate. Hesitating while speaking is common. In class, if you're not sure you have the right answer, you'll hesitate. When giving bad news, people often hesitate. Sometimes it makes sense to hesitate and sometimes you just need to do what you have to do.
Vocabulary lists containing hesitate
List 3
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"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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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:
If you asked me to name the greatest piece of modern food media, I would hesitate.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
"We will not hesitate to conduct further joint intervention," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
“We will not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Last year, a group of American scientists found that reading just one anti-vax Facebook comment about the HPV jab - given to teenagers - was enough to make some parents hesitate.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
How I didn’t hesitate to plunge my shovel into the sand, chasing the clam as it burrowed deep.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
He hesitates to call what he was doing playing at the professional level.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
The Fed typically hesitates to respond to price spikes caused by changes in energy prices, which are known for being bumpy, but she said the persistent overshoot might make that "harder to do this time".
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Most people recognize the familiar situation at a restaurant or dinner party when one plate arrives early and the person served hesitates to start eating.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026
That is the case for Lucia May, aged four, who hesitates as she looks at skulls peeking from wooden boxes, some still with some hair.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025
He hesitates, then says, “You know, that might be a good idea.”
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
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 team-mate Olav Kooij did not follow and as the riders hesitated, Waerenskjold sneaked through a gap beside the barriers to launch a counter-attack with 400m remaining.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Family described him as a kind and humble man who worked hard and never hesitated to help others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
While 27 states have agreed to use SAVE, others have hesitated, concerned not only about inaccuracies, but also about privacy and the data’s potential to be used in immigration enforcement.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2026
He hesitated; then he laid one hand on the wall and continued.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Keane added: "The penalty is a bit harsh and the referee took so long to look at the screen. You want conviction in the referee's decision and he was hesitating for a long time."
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
A young man in his 20s, with wonder: “I would trade my Canadian passport for American citizenship without hesitating a single second. Some states have no state income tax.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
They held them up to the light, pressed them between their fingers, hesitating — until, one by one, they took a bite.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
The Chargers aren’t hesitating when it comes to bolstering their run-blocking options for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, reportedly agreeing to terms Monday with former Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
A red squirrel quested, hesitating a little, into the firelight.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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.
