hesitant

adjective

hes·i·tant ˈhe-zə-tənt

: slow to act or proceed (as from fear, indecision, or unwillingness) : tending to hesitate : showing or feeling reluctance or hesitation

took a hesitant step towards the door

hesitant about accepting the job

hesitantly adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for hesitant

disinclined, hesitant, reluctant, loath, averse mean lacking the will or desire to do something indicated.

disinclined implies lack of taste for or inclination.

disinclined to move again

disinclined for reading

hesitant implies a holding back especially through fear or uncertainty.

hesitant about asking for a date

reluctant implies a holding back through unwillingness.

a reluctant witness

loath implies hesitancy because of conflict with one's opinions, predilections, or liking.

seems loath to trust anyone

averse implies a holding back from or avoiding because of distaste or repugnance.

averse to hard work

not averse to an occasional drink

Examples of hesitant in a Sentence

She took a hesitant step back from the door. He seems hesitant about accepting the job.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Yet, despite a distressing number of incidents reported by the Washington Post—over 417 school shootings since 1999—many schools remain hesitant. —

Chris Ciabarra, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 Yet financial advisors are hesitant, with only about 2.6% recommending crypto to their clients, an April survey from Cerulli Associates found. —

Greg Iacurci,lorie Konish, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2024 Already, 11 percent of Americans have considered moving to avoid the impacts of global warming, and roughly 75 percent are hesitant to buy homes in areas with high climate risks like wildfires (more than 30 million homes in the lower 48 US states are at risk of being hit with wildfires). —

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024 The high cost of the drugs means some pharmacies were hesitant to fill prescriptions, worried that people wouldn’t come to pick them up. —

Jessica Kutz, Them, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hesitant