hesitate
verb /ˈhezɪteɪt/
/ˈhezɪteɪt/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they hesitate | /ˈhezɪteɪt/ /ˈhezɪteɪt/ |
| he / she / it hesitates | /ˈhezɪteɪts/ /ˈhezɪteɪts/ |
| past simple hesitated | /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/ /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/ |
| past participle hesitated | /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/ /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form hesitating | /ˈhezɪteɪtɪŋ/ /ˈhezɪteɪtɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to be slow to speak or act because you feel uncertain or nervous
- She hesitated before replying.
- He seemed to hesitate a second.
- hesitate about/over something When she hesitated over her order, the waiter gave her an impatient look.
- hesitate about/over doing something I didn't hesitate for a moment about taking the job.
- hesitate about/over whether, how, etc… She stood there, hesitating over whether or not to tell him the truth.
- + speech ‘I'm not sure,’ she hesitated.
Extra Examples- Something about his smile made her hesitate.
- I barely hesitated before saying yes.
- I didn't hesitate about working with Craig.
- He was hesitating between a glass of wine and an orange juice.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- a little
- slightly
- briefly
- …
- appear to
- seem to
- make somebody
- …
- about
- between
- over
- …
- [intransitive] hesitate to do something to be worried about doing something, especially because you are not sure that it is right or appropriate
- Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
- If you'd like me to send you the book, then please don't hesitate to ask.
- She never hesitated to speak her mind.
More Like This Verbs usually followed by infinitivesVerbs usually followed by infinitives- afford
- agree
- appear
- arrange
- attempt
- beg
- choose
- consent
- decide
- expect
- fail
- happen
- hesitate
- hope
- intend
- learn
- manage
- mean
- neglect
- offer
- prepare
- pretend
- promise
- refuse
- swear
- try
- want
- wish
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Latin haesitat- ‘stuck fast, left undecided’, from the verb haesitare, from haerere ‘stick, stay’.
Idioms
he who hesitates (is lost)
- (saying) if you delay in doing something you may lose a good opportunity