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
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
This is partly a reflection of the collapse of studio interest in newsy documentaries as well as hesitance around a movie that condemns Israeli policies.
—
Marc Tracy, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Seeing the toll these illnesses can have on patients, some countries experience less hesitance with vaccination than the US does, according to experts.
—Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Convinced that her lover’s health was a gift for their sacrifice, Tai regresses to their wilderness cult ways, taking Van along for the ride despite her hesitance.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Marc Tracy, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Seeing the toll these illnesses can have on patients, some countries experience less hesitance with vaccination than the US does, according to experts.
—Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Convinced that her lover’s health was a gift for their sacrifice, Tai regresses to their wilderness cult ways, taking Van along for the ride despite her hesitance.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
So the reluctance to impose themselves and instead tread cautiously meant Palace were content to bide their time at Wembley.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The recent reluctance from the twins follows Carey’s surprise drop-in during Moroccan’s Twitch live stream on Thursday, April 3.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After years of hesitation, the national security space community is finally boarding the commercial space train, one that many of us have been pushing for since the early 2000’s.—
Charles Beames,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
This time around, there’s no hesitation for Larsson.—
Tiana DeNicola,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the air of hesitancy partially clouding the results, the project strikes a hopeful chord for wildlife conservation.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
-
At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This marks the end of a yearslong pause that began at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Listen to this article The Adams administration’s move to put federal immigration authorities on Rikers Island is on pause, with a judge ruling Monday that the administration can’t take any steps towards a formal agreement until a court hearing later this week.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share