hesitation
/hɛzɪˈteɪʃn
/noun [mass noun]
1The action of pausing before saying or doing something: she answered without hesitation...
- There are likely to be longer pauses and more hesitations, with great care being taken over what is being said.
- And, however accurate, such transcripts are never complete, neither indicating the tone in which answers were given, nor the speakers' hesitations, pauses or accompanying gestures.
- In spite of our training to look at body language and listen to a person's speech, we are rarely told to pay close attention to the hesitations and pauses that accompany a conversation.
Synonyms
pausing, delay, hanging back, waiting, shilly-shallying, dithering, stalling, temporizing, temporization;
uncertainty, hesitancy, hesitance, unsureness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness, irresolution, irresoluteness, indecision, indecisiveness, equivocation, vacillation, oscillation, wavering, scepticism, nervousness, second thoughts;
British havering, humming and hawing;
Scottish swithering
informal dilly-dallying, blowing hot and cold
rare dubiety, incertitude, cunctation
1.1 [usually with negative] Doubt or reluctance: I have no hesitation in recommending him...
- There was no hesitation or doubt for her, and therefore none for the audience.
- Not for a moment is there any hesitation or doubt, as these obstacles have been transcended.
- Gavin took the end of the rope and, with an impressive lack of hesitation, disappeared underwater.
Synonyms
reluctance, misgivings, qualms, scruples, reservations, compunction, unwillingness, disinclination, ambivalence, unease, uneasiness, demurral
Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin haesitatio(n)-, from haesitare (see hesitate).