Definitions for hesitate
ˈhɛz ɪˌteɪthes·i·tate

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 2 votes

1. hesitate, waver, waffleverb

   pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

   "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures"

2. hesitate, pauseverb

   interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

   "The speaker paused"

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. hesitateverb

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

2. hesitateverb

   To stammer; to falter in speaking.

3. hesitateverb

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

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To HESITATEverb

   To be doubtful; to delay; to pause; to make difficulty.

   Etymology: hæsito, Latin; hesiter, French.

   A spirit of revenge makes him curse the Grecians in the seventh book, when they hesitate to accept Hector’s challenge. William Broome, Notes on the Iliad.

   Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,
   Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike;
   Alike reserv’d to blame or to commend,
   A tim’rous foe, and a suspicious friend. Alexander Pope.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hesitate

   Hesitation or hesitating is the psychological process of pausing in the course of making a decision or taking an action, typically due to uncertainty as to the best course of action. Hesitation is described in both positive and negative terms, with some perceiving it as an indication of thoughtfulness, while others characterize it as a sign of indecisiveness or lack of the will to act. In literature, a period of hesitation on the part of a key character has sometimes been depicted as having substantial consequences.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hesitate

   To hesitate is to pause or delay an action due to uncertainty or feeling unsure about a situation. It can also refer to the act of being indecisive or unwilling to make a decision immediately.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

1. Hesitateverb

   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. Hesitateverb

   to stammer; to falter in speaking

3. Hesitateverb

   to utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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.]

Matched Categories

1. • Delay

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

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

How to pronounce hesitate?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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. Peter Marks:

   The way these vaccines work as they go into the cell, the cell makes the protein for a brief period of time -- that is, on the surface of the cell. The body makes an immune response. And the original vaccine, the mRNA component, is degraded. It's not incorporated into the genetic material of a person. There's no way for that to happen, so these vaccines are ones that we're pretty comfortable are going to be reasonable to use in children. I wouldn't hesitate to give them, had I had still younger children in this age group,( I) would not hesitate a second to give my child one of these vaccines.

2. Minka Kelly:

   He was like, ‘OK!’ he didn’t even hesitate. And he shot a beautiful scene and got exactly what he wanted.

3. Lloyd Austin:

   As Secretary of Defense, I will also not hesitate to take any additional measures necessary to safeguard our nation’s secrets, accordingly, I am directing the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to conduct a review of our intelligence access, accountability and control procedures within the Department to inform our efforts to prevent this kind of incident from happening again.

4. Le Maire:

   This is the moment of truth for the Franco-German relationship, the hour of reckoning for the future of the euro zone, either in the next few hours the president and the chancellor reach an agreement and accomplish a significant step in strengthening the euro zone. Or they are unable to and we will return, and I don't hesitate to say so, to turbulent times for the euro zone and for the European Union more widely.

5. Christopher McCandless:

   Don't hesitate or allow yourself to make excuses. Just get out and do it. Just get out and do it. You will be very, very glad that you did.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=hesitate
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hesitate
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=hesitate
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesitate
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitate
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=hesitate