hesitate

verb

hes·​i·​tate ˈhe-zə-ˌtāt 

hesitated; hesitating

intransitive verb

1

: to hold back in doubt or indecision

She didn't hesitate when they offered her the job.

2

: to delay momentarily : pause

He hesitated and waited for her to say something.

3

: stammer

transitive verb

: to hold back from (doing or saying something) in doubt or uncertainty

Don't hesitate to call if you need something.

hesitater noun

hesitatingly

ˈhe-zə-ˌtā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• balance
• dither
• falter
• halt
• hang back
• scruple
• shilly-shally
• stagger
• teeter
• vacillate
• waver
• wobble
• wabble

Choose the Right Synonym for hesitate

hesitate, waver, vacillate, falter mean to show irresolution or uncertainty.

hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing.

hesitated before answering the question

waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat.

wavered in his support of the rebels

vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision.

vacillated until events were out of control

falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear.

never once faltered during her testimony

Examples of hesitate in a Sentence

She hesitated and waited for her friend to say something.

He hesitated about accepting the job.

I sometimes hesitate to say what I am really thinking.

I hesitated to come without being asked.

I wouldn't hesitate to ask for your help if I felt I needed it.

Don't hesitate to call if there is a problem.

Recent Examples on the Web

But because spinners are so popular now, many hunters hesitate to run them, especially on pressured ducks. —Joe Arterburn, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024

Don’t hesitate to do your best and implement a change that stimulates personal growth or self-improvement. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

If Election Day gets too overwhelming, to the point of election anxiety, don't hesitate to look for ways to get help and remember to put your mental health first. —Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 5 Nov. 2024

Though proponents insist that the laws protect both the life of the fetus and the person carrying it, in practice, doctors have hesitated to provide care under threat of prosecution, prison time and professional ruin. —Cassandra Jaramillo and Kavitha Surana, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin haesitatus, past participle of haesitare to stick fast, hesitate, frequentative of haerēre to stick

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

hesitate

verb

hes·​i·​tate ˈhez-ə-ˌtāt 

hesitated; hesitating

1

: to stop or pause because of uncertainty or indecision

hesitate before answering

2

: to be unwilling

hesitate to ask a favor

3

: stammer entry 1

hesitater noun

hesitatingly

-ˌtāt-iŋ-lē 

adverb

hesitation

ˌhez-ə-ˈtā-shən

noun