Hesitant

Showing a lack of certainty or willingness to act or speak; cautious or indecisive.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine you're in a group meeting and your name is called to present. You pause, take a slow breath, and weigh your words carefully before speaking, your hand hovering above your notes.

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Sounds Like

/ˈhɛzɪtənt/ (hez-ih-tuhnt)

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Looks Like

Resembles the verb 'hesitate' in spelling; ends with the common adjective suffix -ant.

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Remember This

Related words: hesitate (verb) and hesitation (noun). Shares the same root family as these terms.

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Other Forms

hesitateverb

hesitationnoun

hesitantlyadverb

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Connect With

indecisive, reluctant, tentative, wavering, cautious, pause

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Note

Use hesitant to describe people or actions that show reluctance or caution about moving forward. It can describe tone of voice or decision-making, but it does not mean fear; context will determine nuance.

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Study Deeper

Examples

She was hesitant to sign the contract until she could review all the terms.
The committee remained hesitant about approving the proposal given the budget concerns.

Synonyms

reluctantuncertaintentativewaveringcautious

Antonyms

decisiveconfidentresolute

Etymology

From Latin haesitare 'to hesitate, cling', from haesus 'stuck', from haerere 'to stick'; via Old French hesiter and English formation with the suffix -ant.

Mnemonic

Hungry Elephants Slowly Inhale Tiny Ants Nearby Today

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Marred

adjective

Ruined; damaged; spoiled in appearance or quality.

Tact

noun

The ability to deal with people and delicate situations in a sensitive, considerate, and diplomatic way; choosing words and actions carefully to avoid offense.