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
Probably not, given the company’s strange hesitance to part ways with its current leadership.
—
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Hawley clearly didn’t feel the same level of hesitance regarding comparisons between Alien: Earth and Ridley Scott’s Alien.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Their hesitance comes in the wake of executive orders targeting some of the country’s most powerful law firms, which have split between fighting the orders and compliance agreements.
—Lluvia Gaucin, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Damar Hamlin’s hesitance in coverage again showed why the Bills are looking at him as more of a backup role, but now their other depth safety options in Hancock and Lewis are injured.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Hawley clearly didn’t feel the same level of hesitance regarding comparisons between Alien: Earth and Ridley Scott’s Alien.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Their hesitance comes in the wake of executive orders targeting some of the country’s most powerful law firms, which have split between fighting the orders and compliance agreements.
—Lluvia Gaucin, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Damar Hamlin’s hesitance in coverage again showed why the Bills are looking at him as more of a backup role, but now their other depth safety options in Hancock and Lewis are injured.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
The 81 independents who were interviewed represented the group with the most reluctance to say transgender athletes shouldn't be allowed to compete.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Several board members expressed grief and reluctance over installing weapon detection systems in middle schools, but also acknowledged the need for more safety measures.—
Rachel Wegner,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As the title suggests, its cast was entirely composed of couples in which one party was ready to get hitched, and the other had hesitations.—
James Factora,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
-
However, lofty goals often lead to significant hesitation or avoidance.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Christine, 53, now tells PEOPLE about her hesitancy to return to the series that made her family household names.—
Dory Jackson,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Educational research shows that spoken practice strengthens memory and reduces hesitancy more effectively than passive drills, which is why Airlearn places conversation at the core of its design.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After battling Bukele in public and her own embassy in private, Manes announced a pause in diplomatic relations and left El Salvador in late 2021.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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His showing over the weekend, however, should at least give the Canucks some pause.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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