hesitation

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   A short stop before you act or speak, caused by doubt, fear, or lack of confidence.

   Grammar: Uncountable in general talk: without hesitation; countable for one pause: a brief hesitation.

   Patterns

   • a moment of hesitation
   • without hesitation
   • hesitation about something

   After a moment of hesitation, she picked up the phone and dialed.

   He answered without hesitation, as if he had rehearsed the reply.

   There was a noticeable hesitation in her voice when I asked about the job.

2. 2nounusually plural

   A feeling of doubt or reluctance that makes someone unwilling to do something.

   Grammar: Often plural when it means doubts: I have some hesitations about the plan.

   Patterns

   • have hesitations about something
   • feel hesitation about doing something

   I have serious hesitations about signing the contract.

   Her hesitation to speak up cost the team valuable time.

   Voters expressed hesitation over the new tax.

Word forms

Common combinations

without hesitation

The firefighter ran into the building without hesitation.

a moment's hesitation

After a moment's hesitation, he accepted the offer.

slight hesitation

There was a slight hesitation before she replied.

no hesitation in doing

I have no hesitation in recommending her.

show hesitation

The speaker showed hesitation when the question turned to money.

vaccine hesitation

Doctors tried to understand the causes of vaccine hesitation.

Synonyms and how they differ

pause

A pause may be planned or neutral, while hesitation always carries the sense of doubt.

reluctance

Reluctance is an unwillingness that can last a long time, whereas hesitation is usually a brief stop.

doubt

Doubt is the mental state of being unsure, while hesitation is the visible delay it can cause.

indecision

Indecision means failing to choose at all, but hesitation can be followed by a clear decision.

Opposites

Word family

hesitate verb

to pause because you are unsure

hesitant adjective

slow to act because you are unsure

hesitantly adverb

in a slow, unsure way

hesitancy noun

a tendency to hold back from acting

Commonly confused: hesitation or hesitancy? hesitation or hesitate?

Practice

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