hesitate

verb

hes·i·tate ˈhe-zə-ˌtāt How to pronounce hesitate (audio)

hesitated; hesitating

intransitive verb

: to hold back in doubt or indecision

She didn't hesitate when they offered her the job.

: to delay momentarily : pause

He hesitated and waited for her to say something.

: stammer

transitive verb

: to hold back from (doing or saying something) in doubt or uncertainty

Don't hesitate to call if you need something.

hesitater noun

hesitatingly

ˈhe-zə-ˌtā-tiŋ-lē How to pronounce hesitate (audio)

adverb

Example Sentences

She hesitated and waited for her friend to say something. He hesitated about accepting the job. I sometimes hesitate to say what I am really thinking. I hesitated to come without being asked. I wouldn't hesitate to ask for your help if I felt I needed it. Don't hesitate to call if there is a problem. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Xi has made unifying Taiwan with China a primary goal of his rule, and his defense minister warned in June that Beijing would not hesitate to fight for the island.

Paul Mozur, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 This update from Sega of Japan suggests that anyone interested in the Western version of Genesis Mini 2, which will contain Western versions of some games and original Japanese versions of others, should not hesitate to place an order.

Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 29 July 2022 That reality doesn’t mean that Garland should hesitate to put Trump on trial.

Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 24 July 2022 Be open about your emotions regarding the situation, and don’t hesitate to also use the help your company offers.

Tytus Gołas, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Many people who have sensitive skin often hesitate to use facial masks in fear of further irritating the skin.

Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2022 Coach Eric Flannery didn’t hesitate to use that setback, a 55-54 loss in Norwalk, as motivation.

Matt Goul, cleveland, 5 Nov. 2021 Fromm’s thesis in his great work, Escape from Freedom, was a simple one; like Freud before him, Fromm did not hesitate to use the convention of mythic storytelling to make his insight vivid for the common reader.

Vivian Gornick, Harper's Magazine, 28 Sep. 2021 Drivers on the street that runs alongside parts of the Santa Fe Trail in East Dallas have become so reckless that some of us hesitate to use that path.

Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 27 July 2021 See More

单词	hesitating
释义	hesitate verb hes·i·tate ˈhe-zə-ˌtāt hesitated; hesitating intransitive verb 1 : to hold back in doubt or indecision She didn't hesitate when they offered her the job. 2 : to delay momentarily : pause He hesitated and waited for her to say something. 3 : stammer transitive verb : to hold back from (doing or saying something) in doubt or uncertainty Don't hesitate to call if you need something. hesitater noun hesitatingly ˈhe-zə-ˌtā-tiŋ-lē adverb Synonyms balance dither falter halt hang back scruple shilly-shally stagger teeter vacillate waver wobble wabble See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences She hesitated and waited for her friend to say something. He hesitated about accepting the job. I sometimes hesitate to say what I am really thinking. I hesitated to come without being asked. I wouldn't hesitate to ask for your help if I felt I needed it. Don't hesitate to call if there is a problem. See More Recent Examples on the Web Xi has made unifying Taiwan with China a primary goal of his rule, and his defense minister warned in June that Beijing would not hesitate to fight for the island. Paul Mozur, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 This update from Sega of Japan suggests that anyone interested in the Western version of Genesis Mini 2, which will contain Western versions of some games and original Japanese versions of others, should not hesitate to place an order. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 29 July 2022 That reality doesn’t mean that Garland should hesitate to put Trump on trial. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 24 July 2022 Be open about your emotions regarding the situation, and don’t hesitate to also use the help your company offers. Tytus Gołas, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Many people who have sensitive skin often hesitate to use facial masks in fear of further irritating the skin. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2022 Coach Eric Flannery didn’t hesitate to use that setback, a 55-54 loss in Norwalk, as motivation. Matt Goul, cleveland, 5 Nov. 2021 Fromm’s thesis in his great work, Escape from Freedom, was a simple one; like Freud before him, Fromm did not hesitate to use the convention of mythic storytelling to make his insight vivid for the common reader. Vivian Gornick, Harper's Magazine, 28 Sep. 2021 Drivers on the street that runs alongside parts of the Santa Fe Trail in East Dallas have become so reckless that some of us hesitate to use that path. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 27 July 2021 See More Word History Etymology Latin haesitatus, past participle of haesitare to stick fast, hesitate, frequentative of haerēre to stick First Known Use 1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Kids Definition hesitate verb hes·i·tate ˈhe-zə-ˌtāt hesitated; hesitating 1 : to pause before doing something He hesitated before crossing the stream. 2 : to be unwilling to do something because of doubt or nervousness Don't hesitate to ask for help. hesitating 1 of 2 adjective as in vacillating Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance vacillating wavering ambivalent shaky shilly-shally shilly-shallying scattered aimless random stray uncertain haphazard slapdash unreliable desultory untrustworthy dicey undependable hit-or-miss arbitrary inconsistent erratic fluctuating unpredictable changeful volatile skittish variable irregular capricious changeable unstable mercurial unsettled inconstant temperamental fickle versatile mutable unsteady mobile adaptable flickery fluid protean Antonyms & Near Antonyms certain steady constant even settled invariable predictable stable stationary unvarying unchanging unchangeable changeless uniform immutable sure persistent abiding equable permanent reliable tried lasting dependable durable trustworthy true trusty tried-and-true See More 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 wavering dithering halting swaying wobbling hanging back wabbling scrupling staggering pondering balancing shilly-shallying teetering delaying lingering procrastinating deliberating dawdling hawing considering weighing hemming waffling equivocating dallying backing down pussyfooting hedging oscillating chickening (out) Antonyms & Near Antonyms deciding plunging (in) continuing stirring diving (in) advancing budging See More
随便看	at the pleasure of someone at the point of at the point of doing something at the polls at the present time at the pump at the pumps at the ready at the receiving end at the risk of at the risk of (doing something) at the risk of doing something at the root of at the same time at the seams at the sight of at the stroke of at the tender age at the threshold at the time of at the time of (something) at the time of something at the top of one's class at the top of one's form at the top of one's game

hesitate

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

adjective

verb