hesitate
American Heritage Dictionary:
Top
hes·i·tate
(hĕz'ĭ-tāt') 
intr.v., -tat·ed, -tat·ing, -tates.
hesitatingly hes'i·tat'ing·ly adv.
intr.v., -tat·ed, -tat·ing, -tates.
- To be slow to act, speak, or decide.
- To pause in uncertainty; waver.
- To be reluctant.
- 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.
Roget's Thesaurus:
Top
hesitate
verb
- To be irresolute in acting or doing: dither, falter, halt2, pause, shilly-shally, stagger, vacillate, waver, wobble. See decide/hesitate.
Antonyms by Answers.com:
Top
hesitate
v
Definition: wait; be uncertain
Antonyms: attack, be certain, carry on, continue, go, go ahead, persevere, resolve
Word Tutor:
Top
hesitate
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)
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Sign Language Videos:
Top
hesitate
sign description: Both hands come up and push away from the body.
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'hesitate'
- Modes and Manners of Expression - hesitate: speak slowly and uncertainly, esp. with pauses
Translations:
Top
Hesitate
Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - tøve, nøle, vakle
Nederlands (Dutch)
aarzelen, treuzelen, stamelen
Français (French)
v. intr. - hésiter, se garder de, reculer
Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διστάζω, κοντοστέκω
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
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Word Tutor
Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
