hesitation

noun

hes·​i·​ta·​tion ˌhe-zə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: an act or instance of hesitating

2

: a pausing or faltering in speech

Synonyms

• faltering
• fence-sitting
• hesitance
• hesitancy
• indecision
• irresolution
• pause
• shilly-shally
• shilly-shallying
• vacillation
• wavering
• wobbling
• wabbling

Examples of hesitation in a Sentence

one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever

Recent Examples on the Web

So, for a character, there’s always a kind of hesitation, some kind of mistrust toward what’s in front of you. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024

One regional actor particularly benefits from Washington’s hesitation or disengagement: the Islamic Republic of Iran. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024

But there may be more hesitation to pull the trigger now. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024

Entire nations overcame their fears and hesitation and became our strong backers in war—Britain, and Germany, grappling all along with their own history, and so many other nations as well, united behind the crystal-clear vision of the horrifying threat of Russian aggression. —TIME, 2 Mar. 2024

The hesitations from far-right lawmakers came to a head on Thursday. —Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 29 Mar. 2024

At least three board members — Holness, Leonardi and Hixon — voiced some level of hesitation about closing schools on Wednesday. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024

An autonomous vehicle can perform the same type of maneuvers a driver can without any hesitation. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024

Mama June also reveals that custody of Anna's youngest Kylee will automatically go to her father while Kaitlyn's fate is up in the air as Eldridge has expressed hesitation with taking on the role. —Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hesitation

• without hesitation