hesitant
adjective
hes·i·tant
ˈhe-zə-tənt 
: slow to act or proceed (as from fear, indecision, or unwillingness) : tending to hesitate : showing or feeling reluctance or hesitation
took a hesitant step towards the door
hesitant about accepting the job
hesitantly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of hesitant in a Sentence
She took a hesitant step back from the door.
He seems hesitant about accepting the job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Warrack sent his findings to Cambodian authorities, but the government was hesitant to act on his research alone.
—
Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
School officials are also hesitant to gamble with the risk of children being outdoors during the eclipse without proper supervision.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
For altruistic folks who are hesitant about driving a BEV, an efficient hybrid is an excellent option.
—Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
And as China’s economy has struggled to rebound from the Covid pandemic, many consumers are hesitant to spend on what feels like an incremental upgrade.
—Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The girl seemed hesitant to eat the food at first, and continued to sit still even after it was brought to her.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
On the snowy streets of Moscow ahead of the vote, people were hesitant to talk about the election and there was little sense of a crucial event about to decide anything about the country’s future.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Commissioners who have been hesitant to radically change the theater in the past have since changed their minds.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
Just like with any activity, time spent away might make anyone feel hesitant — like trying to re-learn how to bike, or going through the motions of swimming again.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
School officials are also hesitant to gamble with the risk of children being outdoors during the eclipse without proper supervision.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
For altruistic folks who are hesitant about driving a BEV, an efficient hybrid is an excellent option.
—Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
And as China’s economy has struggled to rebound from the Covid pandemic, many consumers are hesitant to spend on what feels like an incremental upgrade.
—Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The girl seemed hesitant to eat the food at first, and continued to sit still even after it was brought to her.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
On the snowy streets of Moscow ahead of the vote, people were hesitant to talk about the election and there was little sense of a crucial event about to decide anything about the country’s future.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Commissioners who have been hesitant to radically change the theater in the past have since changed their minds.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
Just like with any activity, time spent away might make anyone feel hesitant — like trying to re-learn how to bike, or going through the motions of swimming again.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hesitant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hesitant
Cite this Entry
“Hesitant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hesitant
adjective
hes·i·tant
ˈhez-ə-tənt
: tending to hesitate : slow to act or proceed
hesitantly
adverb
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