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
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 hesitancy
Still, there was a lingering hesitancy that often got in his way.
—
Stephen Galloway, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
These patient and clinician concerns about AI’s role in healthcare point to a broad hesitancy to leverage the technology across the industry.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
That could alleviate some of the problems, including hesitancy that some pharmacists and doctors have because of the changing rules and confusion.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
If there was any hesitancy about embracing a comedian with no filter, Notre Dame is now in on the joke.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Stephen Galloway, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
These patient and clinician concerns about AI’s role in healthcare point to a broad hesitancy to leverage the technology across the industry.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
That could alleviate some of the problems, including hesitancy that some pharmacists and doctors have because of the changing rules and confusion.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
If there was any hesitancy about embracing a comedian with no filter, Notre Dame is now in on the joke.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
Part of the reason for the decision, Acosta said, was the reluctance of his underage victims to testify.—
Julie K Brown,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Trump has suggested the missiles could serve as leverage to bring Putin to the table, but his reluctance mirrors earlier delays in sanctions and aid to Kyiv.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Del Toro’s explanation for this paradox revealed to Isaac that Victor Frankenstein operates without doubt or hesitation—until his catastrophic moment of reckoning.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Tariffs appear to have stabilized, and while brands remain aware of global uncertainties, there’s a clear shift toward action, not hesitation.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Now, there is some reason for hesitance here, mainly because Raymond could be playing with a rotating cast on his line’s left wing this season.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Still, the Sons of Anarchy star has been open about his initial hesitance to take on the role.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lawrence also took another two-year pause after the release of raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings (2023) before taking on a new project, Die My Love.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
While earnings season has helped fill the information void, this pause in government data comes at a uniquely unfortunate time, given questions about the health of the labor market and inflationary pressures during the trade war.—
Zev Fima,Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share