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

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

The Names by Florence Knapp After a devastating storm, Cora brings her newborn son to be registered, hesitating when pressured to name him after her controlling husband. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026