hesitancy

noun

hes·i·tan·cy | \ ˈhe-zə-tən(t)-sē

How to pronounce hesitancy (audio)

\

plural hesitancies

Definition of hesitancy

1 : the quality or state of being hesitant: such as

a : indecision

b : reluctance took that drastic step only with the greatest hesitancy

2 : hesitation sense 1

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about hesitancy

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Examples of hesitancy in a Sentence

his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit

Recent Examples on the Web

Some hesitancy stems from concerns about how blanket scheduling could affect researchers, but Martin said that DOJ and DEA are working on an intergovernmental solution that benefits the researchers. — Clare Hymes, CBS News, "DOJ pushes Congress to permanently close loophole for knock-off fentanyl," 2 July 2019 The compassion for others has increased, but so has hesitancy around strangers. — Chris Kaltenbach, baltimoresun.com, "Taking back control: A year later, Capital Gazette shooting survivors putting their lives, hearts back together," 28 June 2019 Because of Amy's hesitancy, some TLC fans have taken it upon themselves to pressure the Roloff matriarch (even though the season airing right now has already been filmed). — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Little People, Big World' Star Amy Roloff Posts Cryptic Comment About Matt and Roloff Farms," 23 May 2019 Pelosi’s comments set a high bar for House Dems interested in impeachment, but at least one has pushed back on her hesitancy. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Nancy Pelosi Says Donald Trump Isn’t Worth Impeaching Because it Could Be Too “Divisive”," 12 Mar. 2019 Seizing on white America’s hesitancy for too much progress too fast, conservative figures quickly moved to reassign blame to blacks for the riots. — Vanessa Bee, Daily Intelligencer, "How We Can Get a More Equal Union," 27 Mar. 2018 Executive producer Toni Graphia tells Variety that Jamie isn't pleased with Roger's hesitancy to return to Brianna. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Outlander Season 5: Everything We Know," 28 Jan. 2019 Practically, this means pitching to Chief Justice Roberts’s particular legal perspective, including what observers see as his hesitancy to overturn precedent. — Corinne Ramey, WSJ, "With Kavanaugh on Supreme Court, Lawyers Shift Strategies," 17 Nov. 2018 But advocates of these shuttles believe the attraction of the technology, and the potential value, will overcome any hesitancy. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Small, autonomous shuttles seek to disrupt downtown transit," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hesitancy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near hesitancy

Statistics for hesitancy

Last Updated

9 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for hesitancy

The first known use of hesitancy was in 1617

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More Definitions for hesitancy

hesitancy

noun

hes·i·tan·cy | \ ˈhe-zə-tən-sē

\

Kids Definition of hesitancy

: the quality or state of being unwilling to do something because of doubt or nervousness

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auxiliary

providing supplementary assistance

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