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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
-
Every generation faces a new wave of technological disruption and responds with the same blend of overconfidence, short-termism, and reluctance to let go of what’s working.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And one reason may be their reluctance to give back.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What made the league’s hesitation so baffling is that Clark’s rise lifts everyone around her.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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But when Niesen presented the plans to the abbot of the monastery, he was met with hesitation.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite Pickford’s relative hesitancy to engage aerially, Everton have been one of the most effective teams in the league at defending corners, conceding just five goals, the joint third fewest in the Premier League.—
Matt Pyzdrowski,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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This hesitancy is showing up in the market.—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday Ukraine is ready to mirror any ceasefire steps, having earlier proposed to Russia a pause in attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter holiday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Leon, in issuing the temporary pause, concluded that the preservationist group behind the legal challenge was likely to succeed because the president lacks the authority to build the ballroom without approval from Congress.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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