1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
The vaccines most impacted by this growing hesitancy include those for COVID-19, the flu, HPV, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and RSV.
—
Bruce Gil, Quartz, 27 Dec. 2024
Inflation’s impact on holiday travel For some, there’s hesitancy towards making a big trip this year.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
The actor also supported Chalamet’s hesitancy to disclose details about the transformation.
—Julie Jordan, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Even following such an uplifting and dominant win, Newcastle’s baffling, up-and-down campaign demands such hesitancy.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hesitancy 
Bruce Gil, Quartz, 27 Dec. 2024
Inflation’s impact on holiday travel For some, there’s hesitancy towards making a big trip this year.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
The actor also supported Chalamet’s hesitancy to disclose details about the transformation.
—Julie Jordan, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Even following such an uplifting and dominant win, Newcastle’s baffling, up-and-down campaign demands such hesitancy.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
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Is his reluctance to use a specialist centre-forward counter-productive?—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
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America First Legal, which touts itself as a counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, recently issued letters to police leaders in Los Angeles and San Diego lampooning their reluctance to aid immigration agents.—
Rick Hurd,
The Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This hesitation is likely due to concerns over potential legal liability if Trump reverses course and enforces the ban afterall.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Other high-profile candidates, it was noted, would have significant hesitation signing up to work with Poles as GM at all given his spotty track record in that role over three seasons.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Sahar Abi-Hassan, an assistant professor in political science at Northeastern University who studies the behavior of the Supreme Court, says the court might side with TikTok for several reasons, including its historical hesitance toward restricting speech.—
Lauren Feiner,
The Verge,
9 Jan. 2025
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Still, Zhu’s hesitance to speak about Shein’s exposure to Xinjiang at the hearing might have been born of pragmatic reasons, or perhaps even strategic ones.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The result: The office tasked with managing the return to student loan repayment after a long pandemic pause, as well as the rollout of an overhauled FAFSA, was flat-funded for 2023.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
16 Jan. 2025
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High-profile premieres have been canceled, and the city’s once-bustling red carpets are now on pause.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hesitancy
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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