Synonyms of hesitated

hesitated

verb

past tense of hesitate

as in faltered

to show uncertainty about the right course of action

I didn't hesitate to tell them that what they were doing was wrong and that I wanted no part of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• faltered
• waited
• paused
• vacillated
• scrupled
• dithered
• debated
• wavered
• hung back
• halted
• staggered
• swayed
• wobbled
• lingered
• pondered
• teetered
• balanced
• procrastinated
• hawed
• delayed
• dawdled
• deliberated
• shilly-shallied
• hemmed
• weighed
• equivocated
• considered
• waffled
• backed down
• dallied
• hedged
• chickened (out)
• oscillated
• pussyfooted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decided
• plunged (in)
• continued
• stirred
• dived (in)
• advanced
• budged

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hesitated

Incumbents hesitated, but young and diverse civic-minded men and women jumped at a chance to compete on a level playing field for state offices. — Elona Vaisnys, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026

When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026

Natalia, again fearing a trap, hesitated to disembark—until the dawn light revealed the smiling face of the rotund Diego Rivera, flanked by Mexican Trotskyists and government officials. — Literary Hub, 28 July 2026

Early in the bout, Nick Jackson suffered a head injury, which Moxley urged Ospreay to exploit, but Ospreay hesitated. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

When asked if Airbnbs are legal at The Club, Alvarez hesitated. — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

The French back line hesitated for a brief second, anticipating a potential foul, but Porro pressed the advantage and side-footed a shot past Mike Maignan in the 58th minute for the backbreaking goal. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026

Family described him as a kind and humble man who worked hard and never hesitated to help others. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

My last bosses had created a toxic work environment in which people hesitated to speak up, question authority, or make mistakes. — Leslie Friday, CNBC, 10 July 2026