hesitate

H4E1S1I1T1A1T1E1
UK/ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/US/ˈhɛz.ə.teɪt/Australia/ˈhez.ə.tæɪt/

verb

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

“He hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment.”

Similar
demurbalbucinatebalbutiatefalterhemhawstammerstutter
Opposite
damn the torpedoesdecidebrazengrasp the nettlego big or go home
OriginLatin haesitātus →
CommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

verbhesitate (third-person singular simple present hesitates, present participle hesitating, simple past and past participle hesitated)

present singular third person hesitates · participle present hesitating · participle past hesitated · past hesitated · alternative archaic hæsitate

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

    He hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment.

    1 more example

    September 1, 1742, Alexander Pope, letter to Racine I shall not hesitate to declare myself very cordially, in regard to some particulars about which you have desired an answer.

    Synonyms: demur

  2. intransitiveTo stammer; to falter in speaking.

    Synonyms: balbucinate, balbutiate, falter, hem, haw, stammer, stutter, stumble

  3. poeticraretransitiveTo utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.

    Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.

    a. 1724, Alexander Pope, The Ms. at Longleat

    Synonyms: falter

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
demur

verbTo stammer; to falter in speaking.

Similar
balbucinatebalbutiatefalterhemhawstammerstutterstumble

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

Similar
falter
Similar
mammerscruplewaverbogglewobbledeliberatehaltwaffleditherhoverstand shilly-shallystickswither
Opposite
damn the torpedoesdecidebrazengrasp the nettlego big or go homeresolveshoot first and ask questions latershoot from the hipshoot from the lipshoot one's mouth off
Broader
doubtstoppause

More synonyms by meaning

verbpause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

Similar
waverwaffle
Broader
hesitatepause

verbinterrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

Similar
pause
Broader
delay
Also see
pausestammerstickwafflewaver

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinhaereō
  2. Latinhaesitō
  3. Latinhaesitātus
  4. Englishhesitate

Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive of haereō (“to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast”). Displaced native Old English wandian. Compare French hésiter.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ὀκνέω, αἰσχύνομαι
  • ὀκνέω (oknéō)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • αἰσχύνομαι (aiskhúnomai)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • φοβέομαι (phobéomai)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Arabic تَرَدَّدَ
  • تَرَدَّدَ (taraddada)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Basque zalantzan egon
  • zalantzan egonto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Bulgarian колеба́я се, двоумя се
  • колеба́я се (kolebája se)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • двоумя се (dvoumja se)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • чудя се (čudja se)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • заеквам (zaekvam)to stammer; to falter in speaking
  • заекна (zaekna)to stammer; to falter in speaking
Catalan hesitar, dubtar
  • hesitarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • dubtarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • titubejarto stammer; to falter in speaking
Chinese Mandarin 猶豫 /犹豫, 躊躇 /踌躇
  • 猶豫 /犹豫 (yóuyù)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • 躊躇 /踌躇 (chóuchú)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • 遲疑 /迟疑 (chíyí)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Czech váhat, zaváhat
  • váhatto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • zaváhatto stammer; to falter in speaking
Danish stamme, hakke i det
  • stammeto stammer; to falter in speaking
  • hakke i detto stammer; to falter in speaking
Dutch aarzelen
  • aarzelento stop or pause respecting decision or action
Esperanto heziti
  • hezitito stop or pause respecting decision or action
Finnish epäröidä, aikailla
  • epäröidäto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • aikaillato stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • empiäto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • viivytelläto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • vitkastellato stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • epäröidäto stammer; to falter in speaking
French hésiter, hésiter
  • hésiterto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • hésiterto stammer; to falter in speaking
German zögern, zögern
  • zögernto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • zögernto stammer; to falter in speaking
  • stammelnto stammer; to falter in speaking
Greek διστάζω
  • διστάζω (distázo)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Hebrew היסס
  • היסס (hisés)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Hungarian tétovázik, habozik
  • tétovázikto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • habozikto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • hezitálto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Indonesian ragu
  • raguto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Italian esitare, titubare
  • esitareto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • titubareto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Japanese ためらう, 躊躇する
  • ためらう (tamerau)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • 躊躇する (chūcho suru)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • 躊躇う (tamerau)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Korean 망설이다
  • 망설이다 (mangseorida)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Latin haesitō, dubito
  • haesitōto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • dubitoto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Lithuanian dvejoti, svyruoti
  • dvejotito stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • svyruotito stop or pause respecting decision or action
Māori tawhitawhi, kōrapa
  • tawhitawhito stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • kōrapato stop or pause respecting decision or action
Norwegian nøle med å
  • nøle med åto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Norwegian Bokmål nøle
  • nøleto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Polish wahać się, jąkać się
  • wahać sięto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • jąkać sięto stammer; to falter in speaking
Portuguese hesitar, vacilar
  • hesitarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • vacilarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • titubearto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Romanian ezita, șovăi
  • ezitato stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • șovăito stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • pregetato stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • a se codito stop or pause respecting decision or action
Russian колеба́ться, ме́длить
  • колеба́ться (kolebátʹsja)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • ме́длить (médlitʹ)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • сомнева́ться (somnevátʹsja)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • запина́ться (zapinátʹsja)to stammer; to falter in speaking
  • запну́ться (zapnútʹsja)to stammer; to falter in speaking
  • заика́ться (zaikátʹsja)to stammer; to falter in speaking
  • заикну́ться (zaiknútʹsja)to stammer; to falter in speaking
Scottish Gaelic sòr
  • sòrto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Slovak váhať
  • váhaťto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Spanish vacilar, dudar
  • vacilarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • dudarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • hesitarto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • titubearto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Swedish tveka
  • tvekato stop or pause respecting decision or action
Tagalog magdalawang-isip
  • magdalawang-isipto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Tamil தயங்கு, திக்கு
  • தயங்கு (tayaṅku)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • திக்கு (tikku)to stammer; to falter in speaking
  • குழறு (kuḻaṟu)to stammer; to falter in speaking
Thai ลังเล
  • ลังเล (lang-lee)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Turkish çekinmek, kararsız kalmak
  • çekinmekto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • kararsız kalmakto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • tereddüt etmekto stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ukrainian колива́тися, хита́тися
  • колива́тися (kolyvátysja)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • хита́тися (xytátysja)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • вага́тися (vahátysja)to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Vietnamese chần chừ, do dự
  • chần chừto stop or pause respecting decision or action
  • do dựto stop or pause respecting decision or action

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

hatesite
Cite this entry
APA

hesitate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitate

MLA

“hesitate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hesitate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitate.

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