hesitance

noun

hes·​i·​tance ˈhe-zə-tən(t)s 

: hesitancy

Synonyms

• disinclination
• hesitancy
• reluctance
• reticence
• unwillingness

Examples of hesitance in a Sentence

sales figures for the month were up, as consumers began to overcome their hesitance about purchasing big-ticket items

she mistook my hesitance to mean I didn't like her poem, but I was trying to come up with appropriate words of praise

Recent Examples on the Web

As the war in Ukraine escalated and the enmity between Moscow and its Western rivals deepened, Lukashenko's apparent hesitance to fully commit to the conflict seems to have bought him some level of freedom from retaliation. —David Brennan, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024

That regulatory hesitance has spurred a boom in e-wallets and digital banks across the Asia-Pacific region, as companies target unbanked and underbanked populations in developing markets. —Chris Morris, Fortune Asia, 5 Nov. 2024

His bouts with his command bring some hesitance to fully trust him, but he’s shown signs of positive development. —Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 9 July 2024

In its hesitance to allow women to express negative emotion, House of the Dragon leaves them feeling curiously detached. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 4 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hesitance

noun

hes·​i·​tance ˈhez-ə-tən(t)s 

: hesitancy