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

Smith hesitated, Davis said, and Anderson grabbed the weapon and opened fire. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026

Some in Europe hesitated when the United States launched its war on Iran without consulting them. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Though her books continue to be adapted into movies and recurring series, Moriarty has always hesitated to write a sequel. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

The driver hesitated on the street for a moment before driving away. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Monken hesitated to make Monday the drop-dead date for a winner. — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

At first, Pereira hesitated to leave the security of her finance day job to pursue a growing culinary passion. — Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

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

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