Meanings
plural hesitations · alternative hæsitation
- countableuncountableDoubt; vacillation.
She carried out the order without hesitation.
Synonyms: irresolution, wavering
- countableuncountableA faltering in speech; stammering.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn act of hesitating
nounDoubt; vacillation.
More synonyms by meaning
nounindecision in speech or action
nouna certain degree of unwillingness
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinhaereō
- Latinhaesitō
- Latinhaesitātiō
- Englishhesitation
From Latin haesitātiōnem, accusative singular of haesitātiō (“hesitating, stammering”), from haesitō (“hesitate”). Displaced native Old English ġewand.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὄκνος
- ὄκνος (óknos)act of hesitating
Bulgarian колебание, нерешителност
- колебание (kolebanie)act of hesitating
- нерешителност (nerešitelnost)act of hesitating
- заекване (zaekvane)faltering in speech
Catalan hesitació, vacil·lació
- hesitacióact of hesitating
- vacil·lacióact of hesitating
Chinese Mandarin 躊躇 /踌躇, 猶豫 /犹豫
- 躊躇 /踌躇 (chóuchú)act of hesitating
- 猶豫 /犹豫 (yóuyù)act of hesitating
- 遲疑 /迟疑 (chíyí)act of hesitating
- 彷徨 (pánghuáng)act of hesitating
- 支吾 (zhīwu)faltering in speech
- 吞吐 (tūntǔ)faltering in speech
- 口吃 (kǒuchī)faltering in speech
- 結巴 /结巴 (jiéba)faltering in speech
Czech váhání, zaváhání
- váháníact of hesitating
- zaváhánífaltering in speech
Dutch aarzeling
- aarzelingact of hesitating
Esperanto ĉi hezito, hezitado
- ĉi hezitoact of hesitating
- hezitadodoubt; vacillation
Finnish empiminen, epäröinti
- empiminenact of hesitating
- epäröintiact of hesitating
- takeltelufaltering in speech
French hésitation
- hésitationact of hesitating
German Zögern, Zögern
- Zögernact of hesitating
- Zögerndoubt; vacillation
- Zögernfaltering in speech
Greek δισταγμός
- δισταγμός (distagmós)act of hesitating
Hindi संकोच, झिझक
- संकोच (saṅkoc)act of hesitating
- झिझक (jhijhak)faltering in speech
Hungarian habozás, hezitálás
- habozásact of hesitating
- hezitálásact of hesitating
- bizonytalankodásact of hesitating
Indonesian keragu-raguan
- keragu-raguanact of hesitating
Italian esitazione
- esitazioneact of hesitating
Japanese 躊躇, ためらい
- 躊躇 (chūcho)act of hesitating
- ためらい (tamerai)act of hesitating
Latin cunctātiō, haesitātiō
- cunctātiōact of hesitating
- haesitātiōact of hesitating
Polish wahanie, niezdecydowanie
- wahanieact of hesitating
- niezdecydowanieact of hesitating
Portuguese hesitação
- hesitaçãoact of hesitating
Romanian ezitare, șovăială
- ezitareact of hesitating
- șovăialăact of hesitating
Russian нереши́тельность
- нереши́тельность (nerešítelʹnostʹ)act of hesitating
Scottish Gaelic sgogarsaich, sòradh
- sgogarsaichact of hesitating
- sòradhact of hesitating
- sòradhfaltering in speech
Spanish hesitación, titubeo
- hesitaciónact of hesitating
- titubeoact of hesitating
Swedish tvekan
- tvekanact of hesitating
Tamil தயக்கம், தயக்கம்
- தயக்கம் (tayakkam)act of hesitating
- தயக்கம் (tayakkam)doubt; vacillation
- தடுமாற்றம் (taṭumāṟṟam)faltering in speech
Turkish tereddüt, duraksama
- tereddütact of hesitating
- duraksamadoubt; vacillation
- tereddütdoubt; vacillation
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with hesitation
Cite this entry
hesitation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitation
“hesitation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitation. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hesitation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hesitation.
Source: hesitation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.