Definitions for hesitate
ˈhɛz ɪˌteɪthes·i·tate

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. hesitate, waver, waffle(verb)

   pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

   "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures"

2. hesitate, pause(verb)

   interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

   "The speaker paused"

Wiktionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. hesitate(Verb)

   To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.

2. hesitate(Verb)

   To stammer; to falter in speaking.

3. hesitate(Verb)

   To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.

Webster Dictionary(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Hesitate(verb)

   to stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination; as, he hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment

2. Hesitate(verb)

   to stammer; to falter in speaking

3. Hesitate(verb)

   to utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Hesitate

   hez′i-tāt, v.i. to stop in making a decision: to be in doubt: to stammer.—v.t. (rare) to express with hesitation.—ns. Hes′itancy, Hesitā′tion, wavering: doubt: stammering.—adj. Hes′itan't, hesitating.—adv. Hes′itātingly.—adj. Hes′itātive, showing hesitation.—n. Hes′itātor, one who hesitates.—adj. Hes′itātory, hesitating. [L. hæsitāre, -ātum, freq. of hærēre, hæsum, to stick.]

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'hesitate' in Verbs Frequency: #678

How to pronounce hesitate?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say hesitate in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of hesitate in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of hesitate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of hesitate in a Sentence

1. The BBC:

   She seemed to hesitate, and it looked as though she didn’t want to come through the border, at first we thought that there could be drug packages, but gradually discovered that it was a human body.

2. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   Never hesitate to open new windows in your life!

3. Mohamed Mouloudi:

   Political Islam will not give up its fight to come back politically in Algeria. when the state is weak like now with oil prices down and security threats over the borders, they do not hesitate to make noise.

4. Wissous Mayor Richard Trinquier:

   I didn't hesitate a shadow of a second.

5. The Trade Ministry official:

   He repeated so many times that he will never hesitate to reach the Integrity Commission to inform about corruption cases in the ministry. We knew he became inside the circle of danger. His end was tragic.

Images & Illustrations of hesitate

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