hesitate
verb (used without object)
to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.
were hesitating
-
past progressiveof hesitate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Two-year Treasury yields were hesitating at 4.14%, having made a remarkable round-trip from 5.085% to 3.635% in just nine sessions.
From Reuters ● Mar. 22, 2023
Clearly many who were hesitating decided for the sake of a return to normal-ish life, it was necessary to take the plunge.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2021
By the fall, he had refashioned himself into a defiant national voice urging a quicker reopening, pressing to restart in-person education as other states were hesitating.
From Washington Post ● May 4, 2021
He said that many major institutions were hesitating on the Minecraft approach because the game baffled some officials.
From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2016
Finally, a full minute later, almost as though the very letters were hesitating, came Ema’s response: it’s mine.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
