Hesitate

Definition: Hesitate

Hesitate

Verb

1. Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness: "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures.".

2. Interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing; "The speaker paused".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "hesitate" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Synonyms: Hesitate

Consent

Adverb: OK, yes; (assent); by all means; (willingly); no problem; if you please, as you please; be it so, so be it, well and good, of course; please do; don't hesitate.

Disapprobation

Animadvert upon, reflect upon; glance at; cast reflection, cast reproach, cast a slur upon; insinuate, damn with faint praise; "hint a fault and hesitate dislike"; not to be able to say much for.

Discontinuity

Verb: be discontinuous; Adjective: alternate, intermit, sputter, stop and start, hesitate.

Fear

Hesitate; (be irresolute); falter, funk, cower, crouch; skulk; (cowardice); let " I dare not" wait upon "I would "; take fright, take alarm; start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink; fly; (avoid).

Irresolution

Verb: be irresolute; Adjective: hang in suspense, keep in suspense; leave "ad referendum"; think twice about, pause; dawdle; (inactivity); remain neuter; dillydally, hesitate, boggle, hover, dacker, hum and haw, demur, not know one's own mind; debate, balance; dally with, coquet with; will and will not, chaser-balancer; go halfway, compromise, make a compromise; be thrown off one's balance, stagger like a drunken man; be afraid; let "I dare not" wait upon "I would"; falter, waver

Stammering

Verb: stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, hammer; balbutiate, balbucinate, haw, hum and haw, be unable to put two words together.

Unbelief Doubt

Demure, stick at, pause, hesitate, scruple; stop to consider, waver.

Unwillingness

Demur, stick at, scruple, stickle; hang fire, run rusty; recoil, shrink, swerve; hesitate; avoid.

Crosswords: Hesitate

Should you stand before me again, I shall not hesitate to impose a custodial sentence (Trainspotting; writing credit: John Hodge. Based on the novel by Irvine Welsh.)

If you were a lady I shouldn't hesitate. (Midsomer Murders; writing credit: Anthony Horowitz; Douglas Watkinson)

Thou shalt not hesitate! (Space Ghost Coast to Coast; writing credit: Ben Karlin)

In the immortal words of The Doors, 'The time to hesitate is through (Empire Records; writing credit: Carol Heikkinen)

I don't recall a man in this county, black, white,Mexican who'd hesitate for a minute to call on Buddy Deeds to solve a problem (Lone Star; writing credit: John Sayles)

Any dispute, don't hesitate to produce handguns (Sing For The Moment; performing artist: EMINEM)

I know we shouldn't hesitate (World At Your Feet; performing artist: Fabian)

She didn't hesitate, to call Ice Cube the top gun (It Was a Good Day; performing artist: Ice Cube)

Ooh baby don't you hesitate cause (TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright); performing artist: ROD STEWART)

I didn't mean to hesitate (TOUCH ME (I WANT YOUR BODY); performing artist: Samantha Fox)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Cheerfully Childless: The Humor Book for Those Who Hesitate to Procreate (reference)

  (more book examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

No time to hesitate. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

If the enemy can think and feel, you might hesitate to kill them

Now, why the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale considered it so very fortunate, we hesitate to reveal

Here is one also before us, on the threshold of which we hesitate.

And the water crept to the edge of the doorway, seemed to hesitate a long time, and then moved slowly inward over the floor

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Don't hesitate to ask questions to clarify points. (references)

If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate to call the doctor for advice. (references)

If you are served undercooked meat, poultry or eggs in a restaurant, don't hesitate to send it back to the kitchen for further cooking. (references)

Business

Healthcare professionals often hesitate to treat economically disadvantaged patients for similar reasons. (references)

Some underground Christians hesitate to buy Bibles at official churches because such transactions often involve receipts identifying the purchaser. (references)

The special nature of medical service demand should be kept in mind. Often, even low and middle-income earners will not hesitate to seek the best care by tapping into all available resources, borrowing if necessary from relatives and friends. (references)

Civil Liberties

China

Nonetheless, some underground Christians hesitate to buy Bibles at official churches because such transactions sometimes involve receipts that identify the purchaser. (references)

Brunei

Moreover the Government does not hesitate to investigate and to use its internal security apparatus against persons whom it considers purveyors of radical Islam or non-Muslims who attempt to proselytize. (references)

Jordan

Private citizens may be prosecuted for slandering the royal family, the Government, or foreign leaders, and for "sowing sedition." Citizens generally do not hesitate to criticize the Government openly, but are more circumspect in regard to the King and the royal family. (references)

Economic History

Brazil

They do not hesitate to kill if the victims resist. (references)

Slovak Rep

Do not hesitate to ask us your questions about doing business in the Slovak Republic. (references)

Belgium

The U.S. firm should not hesitate to ask potential representatives or distributors detailed questions. (references)

Political Economy

PAKISTAN

Police do not hesitate to crack down on worker demonstrations. (references)

ALGERIA

Workers in Algeria enjoy considerable rights and do not hesitate to strike when they perceive that these rights are threatened. (references)

KUWAIT

Sponsors frequently hesitate to grant permission to change employment because of the various expenses they covered to bring the servants into the country. (references)

Worker Rights

Dominican Republic

Unions in the FTZ's report that their members hesitate to discuss union activity at work, even during break time, due to fear of losing their jobs. (references)

Qatar

The law does not provide workers specifically the right to remove themselves from hazardous work conditions, and workers often hesitate to remove themselves from hazardous work conditions because of fear of dismissal. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "hesitate": don't hesitate ♦ not to hesitate. Additional references.

Albanian

hezitoj (waver), ngurroj (boggle, demur, dither, falter, halt, hang, linger, pendulate, scruple, vacillate, wabble, waver, wobble), ngec (break down, conk out, flounder, fob off, foist, foul, hitch, jam, Lodge, pack up, plant, run down, seize, throw, thrust), më merret goja, lëkundem (dangle, falter, halt, hang, jolt, jumble, nod, nutate, oscillate, pendulate, reel, rock, shake, shift, stagger, sway, swing, totter, vacillate, vibrate, wabble, wallow, wamble, waver, wobble), jam në mëdyshje (hum and haw). (various references)

Arabic 

‏تحير (confound, confuse, scrabble about), ‏تردد (ambivalence, backwards, balance, be in two minds, boggle, crane, demur, difficulty, dither, fainting, falter, flicker, float, fluctuate, fluctuation, hang, haunt, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, hover, hum and haw, indecision, irresolution, pause, perplexity, puzzle over, reticence, reverberate, scruple, shilly shally, sound, stick, stop, stumble, tergiversation, timidity, vacillate, vacillation, vibrate, vibration, waver, wobble, worry), ‏تئتئ, ‏خشي (apprehend, awe, be afraid, fear, funk), ‏شكك (call in question, impeach, misbelieve, query, question). (various references)

Bulgarian 

колебая се (balance, boggle, chop, crane, demur, dilly dally, dither, falter, fluctuate, hang back, hover, hum and haw, jib, pause, pendulate, scruple, seesaw, shilly shally, teeter, vacillate, vibrate, waver, whiffle, wobble, yo-yo), заеквам (falter, stammer, stutter), поколебавам се, подвоумявам се, пелтеча (splutter, stammer, stutter), двоумя се (pendulate, vacillate, waver). (various references)

Chinese 

躊躇 , 躊 (manner of dancing, pace back and forth, walk around, waver), 躇 , 趄 (mark time, recline), 犹豫 (balked, Balking, hesitant, Hesitated, hesitating, hesitation), 猶豫 . (various references)

Czech

zdráhat se (hang back), zajíkat se (falter, speak hesitantly, stutter), zadrhávat, váhat (be in a dither, delay, dither, falter, hang back, hold back, procrastinate, scruple, shilly shally, stagger, temporize, vacillate, waver), rozpakovat se, být nerozhodný (dither, sit on the fence, vacillate). (various references)

Danish

tøve (waver). (various references)

Dutch

schoorvoeten, dubben (doubt), aarzelen (waver). (various references)

Esperanto

heziti, ŝanceliĝi (waver). (various references)

Faeroese

sveiggja (rock, swing, waver), ridla (waver), drála (adjourn, delay, hold in abeyance, postpone). (various references)

Farsi 

مرددبودن (Linger, Oscillate, Scotch, Vacillate, Wobble), تامل کردن , بی میل بودن (Irk). (various references)

Finnish

häikäillä (boggle at, have consideration, have scruples), siekailla (have scruples), olla kahden vaiheilla (be in two minds), epäröidä (be in doubt, be irresolute, be undecided, waver), epäillä (be suspicious of, distrust, doubt, suspect), empiä (be doubtful, be in two minds), arvella (about, account, consider, deem, opine, suppose, think), arkailla (be overcautious, be shy, be timid). (various references)

French

hésiter (hem). (various references)

Frisian

wifkje (waver), skytskoarje (waver). (various references)

German

zögern (demur, dilatoriness, falter, hang back, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, hold back, indecision, indecisions, lag, pause, procrastinate, procrastination, Tarry, to demur, to hesitate, to pause, waver), zaudern (dilatoriness, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, Tarry, vacillate, waver), zagen (be afraid of, be apprehensive, fear, waver), schwanken (alternate, dither, fluctuate, oscillate, oscillation, pitch, range, reel, rock, roll, seesaw, shake, stagger, sway, swing, teeter, to dither (between), to falter, to fluctuate, to sway, totter, tumble, unsteadiness, vacillate, vacillation, vary, vibrate, waver, wobble). (various references)

Greek 

διστάζω (boggle, demur, dilly dally, doggle, falter, hang back, have second thoughts, hesitate about, pause, scruple to, shilly-sally, shrink from, waver). (various references)

Hebrew 

לפון (pause), לפקפק (doubt, falter, query, suspect, vacillate, waver, wobble), ל�"סס (boggle, falter, hum and haw, vacillate, waver). (various references)

Hungarian

habozik (be in two minds, demur, jib, linger, to be in two minds about sg, to check, to demur, to dither, to draw back, to falter, to hang back, to hang fire, to hold back, to jib, to linger, to scruple, to shilly-shally, to stagger, to straddle, to vacillate, to wabble, to waver, waver), vonakodik (be disinclined, to hang the arse, to squib), tétovázik (demur, fluctuate, hum and haw, to falter, to hesitate, to shilly-shally, to stagger, to vacillate, to wabble, to wobble, vacillate, wiggle-waggle). (various references)

Indonesian

ragu-ragu (doubt, dubious, irresolute, undecided), ragu, meragukan (confuse, doubt, equivocal, incredulous), enggan-enggan (somewhat reluctant, waver), bimbang (doubt, indecisive, vacillate, worried). (various references)

Italian

esitare (boggle, demur, falter, halt, hesitance, scruple, shilly shally, wabble, waver, wobble), titubare (waver). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

渋る (to be reluctant, to have loose painful bowel movement, to hesitate). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ためらう (to hesitate), しぶる (to be reluctant, to have loose painful bowel movement, to hesitate), しかねる (to be reluctant, to be unable to do, to hesitate), くち�"もる (to falter, to hem and haw, to hesitate to say, to mumble), にのあし�'ふむ (to hesitate, to shy or flinch, to think twice), かねる (cannot, to be beyond one's ability, to be impatient, to be unable, to combine with, to hesitate to, to hold, to serve, to use with), いいしぶる (to hesitate to say), いいよどむ (to hesitate to say), �"たえ�'しぶる (to be reluctant to answer, to hesitate to answer), よどむ (to be precipitated, to be sedimented, to be sluggish, to be stagnant, to deposit, to falter, to hesitate, to settle, to stagnate, to stammer, to stumble), はばかる (to have great influence, to have scruples, to hesitate, to lord it over). (various references)

Korean 

망설이십시�". (various references)

Manx

leaystey (balancing, bank, boggle, brandish, dangle, fluctuate, fluctuating, heel, hesitating, hesitation, loll, lolling, oscillate, oscillation, reel, reeling, rock, rocking, roll, see-saw, sway, swaying, swerve, swing, swing back, swinging, vacillate, vacillating, vacillation, waddle; wavering, waddling; fluctuation, wave, wave of hand, waver, waver of fixture). (various references)

Norwegian

nøle (falter, linger). (various references)

Papiamen

titubiá, duda (doubt). (various references)

Pig Latin

esitatehay.(various references)

Polish

wahać się. (various references)

Portuguese

hesitar (balance, boggle, doubt, falter, flinch, flounder, fluctuate, halt, linger, nutate, oscillate, pendulate, repose, scruple, shilly-shally, teeter, waver). (various references)

Romanian

ezita (back, boggle, crane, demur, falter, fluctuate, halt, hang, hobble, hold back, pause, scruple, shilly shally, stagger, stand off, stand on, sway, vacillate, veer, waver, wobble). (various references)

Russian 

стесняться (be shy, scruple), сомневаться (disbelieve, doubt, hang in doubt, hang in the balance, misdoubt, question, scruple, stickle, tremble in the balance), колебаться (be torn between, dilly dally, dither, fluctuate, fluctuating, go seesaw, hand back, hang in the balance, hover, nutate, oscillate, oscillated, pendulate, seesaw, shilly shally, shuttling, stumble at, swing, teeter, vacillate, vibrate, waver, wavered, whiffle, whiffled), не решаться (nibble), запнуться (halt, stumble). (various references)

Scottish

sgrub, sòr (give unwillingly, grudge, spare). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

ustručavati se (scruple, shilly shally), snebivati (vacillate), oklevati (belie, demur, jib, linger, pause, procrastinate, shilly shally, traduce). (various references)

Spanish

vacilar (balance, Dicker, dither, flicker, hang back, hold back, pause, range, vacillate, waver), titubear (Dicker, dilly dally, falter, nutate, shilly shally, stagger, stammer, waver). (various references)

Sranan

gunya, frede-frede, draydray. (various references)

Swedish

tveka (be doubtful, dither, falter, halt, hem, hover, shilly shally, vacillate), dröja (abide, be delayed, be late, be long, defer, delay, linger, loiter, postpone, stay, stop, tarry, wait). (various references)

Thai

ลังเล. (various references)

Turkish

tereddüd etmek (balk at, be vague about smth., dither, falter, halt, oscillate, pause, pendulate, scruple, seesaw, shilly shally, stagger, stickle, vacillate, vibrate, waver, wobble, yaw), teklemek (act up, kick, knock, misfire, skip, stutter), duraksamak (balk, baulk, come to a stop, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hobble, hover, pause, vibrate, waver), çekinmek (beware, boggle, chicken out, dread, fear, flee from, flinch, funk, get cold feet, hang back, have cold feet, hold back, hold off, keep clear of, shrink, shun, shy, wince, withdraw). (various references)

Turkmen 

haяal-яagallyk etmek (linger), sдginmek (stop), sagynmak (delay, pause). (various references)

Ukrainian

сумніватися (demur, dispute, distrust, doubt, empeach, impeach, question, scruple), соромитися (be ashamed), вагатися (balance, boggle, deliberate, demur, dilly dally, falter, fluctuate, halt, hover, oscillate, pause, stagger, vacillate, vibrate, waver, whiffle), не зважуватися (scruple, shy), заїкатися (stammer, stutter, titubate). (various references)

Welsh

petruso (boggle, doubt). (various references)

ambigebant, claudamus, claudat, claude, claudent, claudentur, clauderetur, claudet, claudetur, claudeturque, claudi, claudit, clauditis, clausa, clausae, clausas, clauserat, clauserit, clausero, clauserunt, clausi, clausis, clausisset, clausit, clausitque, clauso, clausos, clausum, clausus, claususque, dubitare, dubito, fluctuantem, fluctuantes, fluctuate, fluctuatur, gravabitur, gravata, gravatae, gravatas, gravati, gravatis, gravatur, graventur, gravetur, haero, hereat, herebat, herens, herentem, heres, pigriteris. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "hesitate": hesitated, hesitater, hesitaters, hesitates. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Hesitate" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: hasitate, heasitate, hectate, heritate, hesistate, hessitate, hestiate, hestitate, hesytate. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: atheist, staithe.

-2 letters: estate, saithe, testae, theist, thetas, tithes.

-3 letters: haets, haste, hates, heats, heist, saith, setae, sheet, state, taste, tates, tease, teats, teeth, testa, teths, these, theta, tithe.

-4 letters: aits, ates, ease, east, eath, eats, etas, eths, haes, haet, hast, hate, hats, heat, hest, hets, hies, hist, hits, sate, sati, seat, seta, sett.

+1 letter: aesthetic, earthiest, heartiest, heathiest, hematites, hesitated, hesitater, hesitates.

+2 letters: aesthetics, anesthetic, antitheses, biathletes, breathiest, earthliest, haematites, healthiest, hesitaters, metaethics, metathesis, stealthier, threadiest, wealthiest.

+3 letters: aesthetical, amethystine, anaesthetic, anesthetics, anesthetist, anesthetize, dimethoates, esthetician, featheriest, harvesttime, hebetations, hepatitides, lethalities, paresthetic, stealthiest, telepathies, tetrarchies, triathletes, unaesthetic.

+4 letters: aesthetician, aestheticism, aestheticize, anaesthetics, anesthetists, anesthetized, anesthetizes, bathymetries, blatherskite, catheterizes, chastisement, chattinesses, estheticians, ethicalities, euthanatizes, harvesttimes, mathematizes, nonaesthetic, osteopathies, stealthiness, straightedge, straightened, straightener, telegraphist, therapeutics, tracheitises, unhealthiest.