Synonyms of hesitance

hesitance

noun

ˈhe-zə-tən(t)s 

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

• reluctance
• hesitancy
• doubt
• reticence
• unwillingness
• hesitation
• skepticism
• disinclination
• suspicion
• indecision
• uncertainty
• vacillation
• wavering
• irresolution
• distrust
• faltering
• mistrust
• staggering
• wobbling
• fence-sitting
• incertitude
• shilly-shallying
• misgiving
• misdoubt
• uncertainness
• mistrustfulness
• distrustfulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• willingness
• inclination
• conviction
• assurance
• certainty
• surety
• certitude
• assuredness
• sureness
• positiveness

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitation
• hesitancy
• pause
• delay
• indecision
• vacillation
• uncertainty
• wavering
• irresolution
• faltering
• deliberation
• reluctance
• wobbling
• doubt
• waiting
• fence-sitting
• shilly-shallying
• shilly-shally
• procrastination
• consideration
• unwillingness
• debate
• indecisiveness
• second thought
• hawing
• timidity
• incertitude
• indetermination
• misgiving
• avoidance
• disinclination
• indisposition
• arrière-pensée
• equivocation
• shyness
• timidness
• faintheartedness
• uncertainness
• aversion

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• determination
• confidence
• resolution
• certainty
• firmness
• certitude
• eagerness
• readiness
• decisiveness
• sureness
• resoluteness
• alacrity

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hesitance

Sensing hesitance as well as incompetence, coaches and players alike tried to sway the flailing fill-ins at every turn. — Michael Silver, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Some supporters of the Wide Awakes’ rebirth have expressed hesitance about its aesthetics, especially the optics of torch-wielding vigilantes marching through the streets. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Apr. 2026

Management’s choice to uphold full-year guidance for 5% revenue growth and $1 billion in additional free cash flow, even after the positive performance, indicates internal hesitance regarding the sustainability of hardware. — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026

The hesitance that some people expressed was not based on a fear of exposure to the coronavirus. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2026