hesitancy
noun
hes·i·tan·cy
ˈhe-zə-tən(t)-sē 
1
: the quality or state of being hesitant: such as
a
: slowness in acting or deciding due to doubt or uncertainty : indecision
He often reminded me of Orwell, not so much in feature as by a kind of hesitancy of manner, as if thinking for a second about the true meaning of what had been said before committing himself …—
Anthony Powell
Anthony Powell
b
: lack of willingness or eagerness to do something : reluctance
She took that drastic step only with the greatest hesitancy.
This hesitancy to hire is one of the reasons companies are so unfazed by the possibility of the economy slowing.—Rob Norton
Rob NortonI was naturally a little hesitant about asking exactly how much he did earn—but there was no hesitancy on his part as he flourished his pay slip.—Richard Carver
see also vaccine hesitancy
Richard Carver2
plural hesitancies
: an act or instance of being hesitant : hesitation sense 1
… he speaks in a cheerful, self-deprecating fashion that seems to preclude silences or hesitancies on either side of a conversation.—Roger Angell
Roger Angell3
medical
: urinary hesitancy
… his chief complaint was hesitancy and intermittency of urination.—Ari J. Isaacson
Ari J. IsaacsonSynonyms
Examples of hesitancy in a Sentence
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
Recent Examples on the Web
With that, the hesitancy to stand too close to Stan doesn’t seem to extend to his place the blockbuster realm of Disney’s MCU — at least not yet.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
Just five years ago, the company's CFO was open about its hesitancy in getting involved in the crypto space.
—Lisa Loud, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Tina Reed Aug 27, 2024 - Health Vaccine hesitancy eats into back-to-school shots
A recent measles outbreak in Oregon is refocusing attention on declining childhood vaccination rates as kids head back to school.
—Megan Morrone, Axios, 18 Sep. 2024
He is shifty enough, though, and competes quite hard, showing no hesitancy to play the body.
—Corey Pronman, The Athletic, 27 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hesitancy 
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Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
Just five years ago, the company's CFO was open about its hesitancy in getting involved in the crypto space.
—Lisa Loud, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Tina Reed Aug 27, 2024 - Health Vaccine hesitancy eats into back-to-school shots
A recent measles outbreak in Oregon is refocusing attention on declining childhood vaccination rates as kids head back to school.
—Megan Morrone, Axios, 18 Sep. 2024
He is shifty enough, though, and competes quite hard, showing no hesitancy to play the body.
—Corey Pronman, The Athletic, 27 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hesitancy
Dictionary Entries Near hesitancy
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitancy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hesitancy
noun
hes·i·tan·cy
ˈhez-ə-tən-sē
plural hesitancies
1
: a tendency to hesitate
2
: an act or instance of hesitating
Medical Definition
hesitancy
noun
hes·i·tan·cy
ˈhez-ə-tən(t)-sē
: the quality or state of being hesitant: such as
a
: lack of willingness or eagerness to do something
hesitancy to report symptoms
see also vaccine hesitancy
b
: urinary hesitancy
One patient had symptoms of urinary incontinence, frequency, nocturia and hesitancy …—Ray Addison, Nursing Times
Ray Addison, Nursing TimesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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