1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
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
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
An unclear future given continuing cuts and hesitancy Facing these head winds, things got much worse in March when Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services canceled billions of dollars in state and local funding.
—
Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Second, compared to the alternatives, experts say the firing squad is generally thought to be easy, fast and effective, despite its overt violence, which has likely contributed to states’ hesitancy to use it.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Pitching owners to invest in an unproven concept is often met with hesitancy.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
That’s due to several factors, such as challenges related to cost and access and hesitancy among some cardiologists and primary care physicians.
—Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Second, compared to the alternatives, experts say the firing squad is generally thought to be easy, fast and effective, despite its overt violence, which has likely contributed to states’ hesitancy to use it.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Pitching owners to invest in an unproven concept is often met with hesitancy.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
That’s due to several factors, such as challenges related to cost and access and hesitancy among some cardiologists and primary care physicians.
—Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
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Indeed, behind all of this is the administration's reluctance to support Ukraine, which allies might see as applying to themselves, and China might see as applying to Taiwan.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Women’s reluctance to compete has been well-documented.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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This time around, there’s no hesitation for Larsson.—
Tiana DeNicola,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The war plans group chat uncovered by a journalist at The Atlantic exposed some daylight between Vice President Vance and others in the administration, showing Vance’s hesitance about launching a military strike that President Trump has hailed this week as necessary and successful.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
29 Mar. 2025
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This often shows up in subtle ways: a reluctance to apply for promotions, a hesitance to speak up in high-stakes meetings, or discomfort in presenting a polished resume or LinkedIn profile.—
Amanda Miller Littlejohn,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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