Synonyms of hesitating

hesitating 1 of 2

adjective

as in ambivalent

Related Words

• ambivalent
• shaky
• vacillating
• wavering
• random
• shilly-shally
• shilly-shallying
• aimless
• scattered
• stray
• haphazard
• uncertain
• unreliable
• desultory
• untrustworthy
• arbitrary
• undependable
• hit-or-miss
• erratic
• dicey
• slapdash
• inconsistent
• unpredictable
• volatile
• changeful
• variable
• irregular
• fluctuating
• unstable
• skittish
• capricious
• changeable
• mercurial
• unsettled
• fickle
• temperamental
• inconstant
• mutable
• unsteady
• versatile
• mobile
• adaptable
• fluid
• flickery
• protean

Dissimilar Words

• certain
• constant
• steady
• settled
• stable
• invariable
• even
• predictable
• stationary
• unchanging
• uniform
• unchangeable
• immutable
• persistent
• sure
• permanent
• unvarying
• changeless
• abiding
• lasting
• reliable
• durable
• true
• dependable
• tried
• equable
• trustworthy
• trusty
• tried-and-true

hesitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hesitate

as in faltering

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

• faltering
• waiting
• vacillating
• pausing
• debating
• dithering
• wavering
• halting
• hanging back
• swaying
• staggering
• wobbling
• scrupling
• balancing
• teetering
• pondering
• lingering
• shilly-shallying
• delaying
• procrastinating
• deliberating
• dawdling
• hawing
• weighing
• considering
• hemming
• waffling
• equivocating
• backing down
• dallying
• oscillating
• hedging
• pussyfooting
• chickening (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deciding
• plunging (in)
• diving (in)
• continuing
• stirring
• advancing
• budging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hesitating

Verb

While some may be looking for more reasons to eat cookies, many more are simply hesitating to eat salads and other fresh produce amid a multistate outbreak of cyclospora, known for that unpleasant symptom, among others. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

The book does often feel like a recording of a mental jam session, but there is also a sense of being guided by a kind of hesitating yet urgent voice that needs to get things figured out. — Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026

While their rivals started spending significant sums of money as soon as the 2024-25 season finished, Spurs wasted a couple of weeks hesitating about the long-term future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou before replacing him with Thomas Frank. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 29 May 2026

Right now, Taylor said, both sides are hesitating. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Walgreens isn’t hesitating to close stores in parts of Chicago where theft is frequent and there are legitimate concerns about the safety of employees and customers. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026

Trump has criticized European countries for rejecting or hesitating to get involved in the war with Iran. — Npr Staff, NPR, 17 Apr. 2026

The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026

Palmer is the center of the film and building the cast around her initially had Riley hesitating. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026