hesitate

intr.v., -tat·ed, -tat·ing, -tates.

1. 1. To be slow to act, speak, or decide.
   2. To pause in uncertainty; waver.
2. To be reluctant.
3. To speak haltingly; falter.

[Latin haesitāre, haesitāt-, to hesitate, frequentative of haerēre, to hold fast.]

hesitater hes'i·tat'er n.
hesitatingly hes'i·tat'ing·ly adv.

SYNONYMS   hesitate, vacillate, waver, falter. These verbs mean to be uncertain, irresolute, or indecisive. To hesitate is to hold back or pause because of doubt or uncertainty: "A President either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him" (Harry S. Truman). Vacillate implies going back and forth between alternative, usually conflicting courses: She vacillated about whether to go or to stay. Waver suggests having second thoughts about a decision: After much wavering, he finally gave his permission. To falter is to be unsteady in resolution or action: He resolved to ask for a raise but faltered when his boss entered the room.

verb

To be irresolute in acting or doing: dither, falter, halt², pause, shilly-shally, stagger, vacillate, waver, wobble. See decide/hesitate.

v

Definition: wait; be uncertain
Antonyms: attack, be certain, carry on, continue, go, go ahead, persevere, resolve

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IN BRIEF: To stop or hold back because of feeling unsure.

We have reached mastery when we neither mistake nor hesitate in the achievement. — Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - tøve, nøle, vakle

Nederlands (Dutch)
aarzelen, treuzelen, stamelen

Français (French)
v. intr. - hésiter, se garder de, reculer

Deutsch (German)
v. - zögern

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διστάζω, κοντοστέκω

Italiano (Italian)
esitare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - hesitar

Русский (Russian)
колебаться, стесняться, медлить

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - vacilar, mostrarse indeciso, dudar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - tveka, vackla, betänka sig, hacka (i talet)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
犹豫, 踌躇, 迟疑

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 猶豫, 躊躇, 遲疑

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 주저하다, 마음 내키지 않다, 머뭇거리다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ためらう, 躊躇する, 迷う

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يتردد, يتمهل, يتأتئ, يفأفئ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮היסס, פקפק‬

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