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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitance
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
Boomers are more likely to emphasize resilience, self-reliance, and the belief that personal struggles should be handled privately, that seeking help is a weakness, resulting in a hesitance to seek external support like therapy.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
However, there was hesitance among owners to strip division champions of their first-round home-field advantage, prompting the modification to reseed after the wild-card round.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That’s led to early purchases of some big-ticket items, such as cars, but also fueled consumers’ hesitance to spend in other areas.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Boomers are more likely to emphasize resilience, self-reliance, and the belief that personal struggles should be handled privately, that seeking help is a weakness, resulting in a hesitance to seek external support like therapy.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
However, there was hesitance among owners to strip division champions of their first-round home-field advantage, prompting the modification to reseed after the wild-card round.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That’s led to early purchases of some big-ticket items, such as cars, but also fueled consumers’ hesitance to spend in other areas.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
In Europe, the reluctance was more ominous given the massive EV targets set for 2030.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
-
New York traded Toppin to the Indiana Pacers for two second-round picks in 2022, citing his inconsistent minutes behind All-Star Julius Randle and then-coach Tom Thibodeau’s reluctance to extend leashes to young players on win-now rosters.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Their only hesitation were their concerns for his future.—
Angela Andaloro,
People.com,
26 June 2025
-
These travelers pausing their U.S. visits aren't swearing off the U.S. forever, but their hesitation shows the country's current political actions aren't going unnoticed.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
This public mandate for bold climate action stands in sharp contrast to the political hesitancy now on display.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
While the #MeToo movement has set the stage for French society to listen when survivors of abuse come forward, there is still some hesitancy within families to accept what happened at Bétharram.—
Colette Davidson,
Christian Science Monitor,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Republican leaders and tech industry groups have argued that a multiyear pause on state-level AI regulation is essential to giving U.S. companies the space to innovate and maintain an edge over China.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
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California’s largest public sector union secured a one-year pause to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order just days before state workers are expected to begin working in person four days a week.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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