Dictionary

hesitate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhez.ə.tæɪt/ (Australia)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈhɛz.ə.teɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin haereō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō ▲ Latin -tō Latin -itō Latin -titō Latin haesitō Latin haesitātusbor. English hesitate 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.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) 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.
   • 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.
2. (intransitive) To stammer; to falter in speaking.
3. (poetic, rare, transitive) To 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:

Forms

Antonyms

shoot first and ask questions later · shoot one's mouth off · shoot from the hip · resolve · decide · shoot from the lip · brazen · go big or go home · grasp the nettle · damn the torpedoes

Deriveds

hesitatory · hesitation · hesitative · hesitating · hesitant · hesitater

Hypernyms

pause · stop · doubt

Relateds

vacillate · think twice

Synonyms

stand shilly-shally · hesitate · deliberate · halt · mammer · hem (to falter in speaking) · wobble · stutter (to falter in speaking) · balbutiate (to falter in speaking) · waffle · dither · stumble (to falter in speaking) · scruple · swither · falter (to falter in speaking) · demur (to stop respecting decision or action) · stammer (to falter in speaking) · waver · stick · falter (to utter with hesitation) · falter · boggle · haw (to falter in speaking) · balbucinate (to falter in speaking) · hover

Translations (131)

sq druaj (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · grc αἰσχύνομαι (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fi viivytellä (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ko 망설이다 (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · kk күмәндану (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · hu tétovázik (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fi epäröidä (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · sk váhať (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · uk вага́тися (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fr hésiter (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · egy s-i-in:n-D54 (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · da hakke i det (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · be вага́цца (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · bg чудя се (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · es hesitar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · bg двоумя се (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · tr tereddüt etmek (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh dvoumiti (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · pt vacilar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · hy տատանվել (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · scn trantulijari (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ca dubtar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ta தயங்கு (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · th ลังเล (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · la haesitō (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · qu iskayyay (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · hy վարանել (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fi aikailla (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · lb zécken (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · es vacilar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · grc φοβέομαι (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh оклијевати (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · gl dubidar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · de zögern (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh колебати (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ru запина́ться (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · sco hover (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · sh oklevati (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ru заика́ться (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · kk баяулату (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · mi kōrapa (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · cmn 遲疑 /迟疑 (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · nb nøle (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · vi chần chừ (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh oklijevati (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · da stamme (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · hu hezitál (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh оклевати (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh двоумити (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fi vitkastella (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fr hésiter (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · tl magdalawang-isip (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ta குழறு (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · uk колива́тися (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · pt titubear (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ro a se codi (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh нећкати (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ckb دوودڵ بوون (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ro pregeta (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · az tərəddüd etmək (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ru сомнева́ться (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · bg колеба́я се (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · mk се колеба (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · it titubare (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · de zögern (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · km ញីញញូញ (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · eu zalantzan egon (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh поколебати (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · km តេងតាង (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · km ច្រិមច្រុម (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sco swither (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · bg заекна (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · it esitare (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · km ច្រេញច្រុញ (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · de stammeln (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · pt hesitar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · kk дүдәмал болу (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · tr kararsız kalmak (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ja 躊躇する (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ro șovăi (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · cmn 猶豫 /犹豫 (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · arz اتردد (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · mi tawhitawhi (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · kk бұраландау (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · pl jąkać się (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · ru заикну́ться (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · cs zaváhat (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · pl wahać się (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · kk тұтығу (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · hu habozik (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · cmn 躊躇 /踌躇 (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · es dudar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ro ezita (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · la dubito (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh nećkati (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · lt dvejoti (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · es titubear (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh pokolebati (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · cs váhat (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ja ためらう (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ca hesitar (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · tr çekinmek (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · bg заеквам (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · km ទីមទាម (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fi epäröidä (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sv tveka (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · id ragu (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · el διστάζω (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · vi do dự (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · he היסס (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · be хіста́цца (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · no nøle med å (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ang wandian (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ru ме́длить (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ru запну́ться (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · ru колеба́ться (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · grc ὀκνέω (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ja 躊躇う (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · fi empiä (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · sh kolebati (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · km ទីទើរ (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ca titubejar (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · kk кекештену (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · ba икеләнеү (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · uk хита́тися (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · nl aarzelen (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · lt svyruoti (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · ta திக்கு (to stammer; to falter in speaking) · ar تَرَدَّدَ (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · gd sòr (to stop or pause respecting decision or action) · eo heziti (to stop or pause respecting decision or action)