hesitancy

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noun

A pausing or halting before beginning a task, often as a result of some fear or uncertainty about the outcome.

Similar
hesitationhesitancereluctancedisinclinationindisposition
OriginLatin haesitantia →
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounhesitancy (countable and uncountable, plural hesitancies)

plural hesitancies · alternative hæsitancy · alternative hesitance

  1. countableuncountableA pausing or halting before beginning a task, often as a result of some fear or uncertainty about the outcome.

    Synonyms: hesitation

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA pausing or halting before beginning a task, often as a result of some fear or uncertainty about the outcome.

Similar
hesitation

More synonyms by meaning

nouna feeling of diffidence and indecision about doing something

Similar
hesitance
Broader
diffidenceself-doubtself-distrust

nouna certain degree of unwillingness

Similar
reluctancehesitationdisinclinationindisposition
Broader
unwillingnessinvoluntariness
Also see
delaydilationdisinclinationhesitancehesitationhold-upindispositionreluctance

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinhaereō
  2. Latinhaesitō
  3. Latinhaesitāns
  4. Latinhaesitantia
  5. Englishhesitancy

From Latin haesitantia. By surface analysis, hesitant + -cy.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hesitancy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitancy

MLA

“hesitancy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitancy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hesitancy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitancy.

Source: hesitancy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.