hesitation

noun

hes·​i·​ta·​tion ˌhe-zə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: an act or instance of hesitating

A moment's hesitation could have meant disaster.

I would do it again without hesitation.

2

: a pausing or faltering in speech

Synonyms of hesitation

• hesitancy
• hesitance
• pause
• delay

Examples of hesitation in a Sentence

one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever

Recent Examples on the Web

Women's hesitation stems from less encouragement, fear of appearing incompetent, and distrust in AI, which can exhibit biases against women. — Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Sensing my hesitation to contribute to the graffiti (tagging the cars is encouraged), Half-Cocked handed me a can of pink spray paint and gently fostered my delinquency. — New York Times, 28 July 2026

Without any hesitation, Martineau said her favorite food item is fennel & orange salad. — Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

But then, her fertility doctor — who initially had his own hesitation — came around to it, too. — Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hesitation

• without hesitation

Rhymes for hesitation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation