1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
sales figures for the month were up, as consumers began to overcome their hesitance about purchasing big-ticket items
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
she mistook my hesitance to mean I didn't like her poem, but I was trying to come up with appropriate words of praise
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitance
Shares of McCormick fell 6% in morning trading, while Unilever's stock down 4%, reflecting investors' hesitance about the mega-merger.
—
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
That likely means there won’t be any hesitance by Stammen to use his higher-leverage relievers today and tomorrow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
That the Astros even added Vázquez underscores their hesitance to hand César Salazar the backup role, despite Salazar’s familiarity with their pitching staff and strong clubhouse reputation.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Analysts have noted Mojtaba's lack of adequate religious credentials and hesitance within the regime to oversee a dynastic succession as marks against his candidacy to be the next supreme leader.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
That likely means there won’t be any hesitance by Stammen to use his higher-leverage relievers today and tomorrow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
That the Astros even added Vázquez underscores their hesitance to hand César Salazar the backup role, despite Salazar’s familiarity with their pitching staff and strong clubhouse reputation.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Analysts have noted Mojtaba's lack of adequate religious credentials and hesitance within the regime to oversee a dynastic succession as marks against his candidacy to be the next supreme leader.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
There has so far been a reluctance to budge, citing that football has a contractual priority during its season.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
There’s also a reluctance to become reliant on Nvidia’s chips on the Chinese side.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Jake became Sai without hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Nerves, doubt, and hesitation are normal and expected at this point in the process.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Stepping straight into playoff hockey for the first time in his NHL career, Coghlan has played on instinct, with a surprising lack of hesitancy.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Now on the Democratic side, at least when this began, there was hesitancy from Democrats, even about Newsom’s idea of fighting fire with fire.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Taiwanese officials say they were not alerted to any potential pauses, according to The Associated Press.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
-
Before hitting the pause button, Joanne and Noah host their first dinner party.—
Hugh Hart,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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