HESITANCE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

hesitance

noun

ˈhe-zə-tən(t)s

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hesitance Her only hesitance was how much the internet has changed culture in the past decade. —

Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game. —

Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026 After a little practice breathing through the tube and getting past her initial hesitance, Jenner puts her face into the water, and comes back up immediately, her hair stuck to her skin. —

Marci Robin, Allure, 14 Jan. 2026 Citing Chinese academic research, the report notes that financial and time pressures, especially the cost and burden of child care, are major factors contributing to families’ hesitance. —

Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hesitance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance

Noun

And there was a lot of reluctance to do away with the rear screen.

— Morgan Korn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
While historically, there’s been a reluctance among early investors to get into defense, that is now changing as a result of recent developments.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026