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
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
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
Cutting that research doesn’t make hesitancy disappear.
—
A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
The largest divergence in spending growth appeared around bigger ticket items like travel, reflecting either hesitancy around vacation planning due to wage growth, or gas prices.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 May 2026
The decline in vitamin K uptake is still believed to be related to vaccine and medicine hesitancy, according to both the JAMA study and ProPublica investigation.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 May 2026
This hesitancy and worry about speaking up is the way free speech dies.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
The largest divergence in spending growth appeared around bigger ticket items like travel, reflecting either hesitancy around vacation planning due to wage growth, or gas prices.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 May 2026
The decline in vitamin K uptake is still believed to be related to vaccine and medicine hesitancy, according to both the JAMA study and ProPublica investigation.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 May 2026
This hesitancy and worry about speaking up is the way free speech dies.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
Despite her reluctance, Ava decides to show up for her best friend, and the two embark on an extravagant European trip that involves driving stick shift in the streets of Paris, high-end dining, shopping and clubbing until dawn.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Lean says the experience had an awful effect on him, filling him with shame and a reluctance to direct again.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Jake became Sai without hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Nerves, doubt, and hesitation are normal and expected at this point in the process.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
-
After a pause for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, social hesitance was still evident and masks were incorporated into some of the night's designs.—
Luis Giraldo,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
After a brief pause in the fourth inning, Will Smith led off the fifth inning with the Dodgers’ fourth homer of the night.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Eastern Ukraine — There is a whirr, a flurry of dust, a pause as the grainy image recalibrates, and then a devastating blast.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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