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
Trump has taken distinct interest in influencing the Fed, repeatedly criticizing Chair Jerome Powell over his hesitance to back lowering interest rates.
—
Jared Gans, The Hill, 2 Oct. 2025
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Josh Brolin, who played big brother Brandon Walsh, expressed hesitance about a second movie.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Jared Gans, The Hill, 2 Oct. 2025
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Josh Brolin, who played big brother Brandon Walsh, expressed hesitance about a second movie.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
Croatia dropped the kuna in 2023, and the change was met with widespread stories about rampant inflation — perhaps explaining other countries’ reluctance — although the European Central Bank said that price rises continued on existing trends.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Nasdaq 100 has seen more than $1 trillion wiped out since last Wednesday, the day Federal Reserve policymakers signaled reluctance to lower rates again anytime soon.—
Rita Nazareth,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One mistake or moment of hesitation could mean death.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This feature helps eliminate jerky movements and hesitation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Warsh, a former Fed governor with a Wall Street background, has been critical of the central bank's handling of inflation in the past and told CNBC in July that its hesitancy to cut interest rates undermined its credibility.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Noting her hesitancy, Benedict’s character in the book guesses that Sophie is illegitimate.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The pact with Washington, Oregon and four Native American tribes had allowed for a pause in the litigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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This week's talks in Abu Dhabi concluded without a major breakthrough but Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 157 prisoners of war each, resuming such swaps after a five-month pause.—
Yuliia Dysa,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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