hesitate

hes·i·tate  (hz-tt)

intr.v. hes·i·tat·ed, hes·i·tat·ing, hes·i·tates

1.

a. To be slow to act, speak, or decide.

b. To pause in uncertainty; waver.

2. To be reluctant.

3. To speak haltingly; falter.

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[Latin haesitre, haesitt-, to hesitate, frequentative of haerre, to hold fast.]

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hesi·tater n.

hesi·tating·ly adv.

Synonyms: hesitate, vacillate, waver, falter
These verbs mean to be uncertain, irresolute, or indecisive. To hesitate is to hold back or pause because of doubt or uncertainty: "A President either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him" (Harry S. Truman).
Vacillate implies going back and forth between alternative, usually conflicting courses: She vacillated about whether to go or to stay.
Waver suggests having second thoughts about a decision: After much wavering, he finally gave his permission.
To falter is to be unsteady in resolution or action: He resolved to ask for a raise but faltered when his boss entered the room.

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hesitate [ˈhɛzɪˌteɪt]

vb (intr)

1. to hold back or be slow in acting; be uncertain

2. to be unwilling or reluctant (to do something)

3. to stammer or pause in speaking

[from Latin haesitāre, from haerēre to cling to]

hesitater , hesitator n

hesitatingly  adv

hesitation  n

hesitative  adj

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	hesitate - pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness; "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures" waffle, waver dwell on, linger over - delay boggle - hesitate when confronted with a problem, or when in doubt or fear hover, linger - move to and fro; "The shy student lingered in the corner" hover, oscillate, vacillate, vibrate - be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action; "He oscillates between accepting the new position and retirement" falter, waver - be unsure or weak; "Their enthusiasm is faltering"
	2.	hesitate - interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing; "The speaker paused" pause hem and haw - utter `hems' and `haws'; indicated hesitation; "He hemmed and hawed when asked to address the crowd" scruple - hesitate on moral grounds; "The man scrupled to perjure himself" delay - act later than planned, scheduled, or required; "Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered"

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hesitate

verb

1. waver, delay, pause, haver (Brit.), wait, doubt, falter, be uncertain, dither (chiefly Brit.), vacillate, equivocate, temporize, hum and haw, shillyshally (informal), swither (Scot. dialect) She hesitated, debating whether to answer the phone.
waver decide, be confident, be firm, be decisive, continue

2. be reluctant, be unwilling, shrink from, think twice, boggle, scruple, demur, hang back, be disinclined, balk or baulk I will not hesitate to take unpopular decisions.
be reluctant resolve, be determined

Quotations
"You can hesitate before deciding, but not once the decision is made" [José Bergamín El cohete y la estrella]

Proverbs
"He who hesitates is lost"

Translations

hesitate [ˈhezɪteɪt] VI (gen) → vacilar; (in speech) → vacilar, titubear
to hesitate to do sth → dudar en hacer algo, vacilar en hacer algo
I will not hesitate to take unpopular decisions → no dudaré or vacilaré en tomar decisiones poco populares
I hesitate to call this art → no me atrevo a llamar arte a esto
don't hesitate to ask (me) → no vaciles en pedírmelo, no dejes de pedírmelo
I hesitate to condemn him outright → no me decido a condenarlo del todo
to hesitate before doing sth → dudar antes de hacer algo
to hesitate about or over doing sth → vacilar en hacer algo
he hesitates at nothing → no vacila ante nada

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hesitate [ˈhɛzɪteɪt] vi → hésiter
to hesitate to do sth → hésiter à faire qch
I would hesitate to say yes at this stage → J'hésiterais à accepter à ce stade.
to not hesitate to do sth → ne pas hésiter à faire qch
He did not hesitate to take action → Il n'hésitait pas à prendre des mesures.
Don't hesitate to contact me → N'hésitez pas à me contacter.

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hesitate

vi → zögern, zaudern (geh); (in speech) → stocken; he who hesitates is lost (Prov) → dem Feigen kehrt das Glück den Rücken (Prov); I hesitate to ask him round → ich bin mir nicht schlüssig, ob ich ihn einladen soll; I’d hesitate to take or at taking on such a task → ich würde es mir gut überlegen, ob ich so eine Aufgabe übernehmen würde; I hesitated about having another baby → ich hatte Bedenken, noch ein Kind zu bekommen; he didn’t hesitate at the idea of leaving home → er zögerte keinen Augenblick, von zu Hause wegzugehen; even he would hesitate at murder → selbst er hätte bei einem Mord Bedenken; he hesitates at nothing → er macht vor nichts halt, er schreckt vor nichts zurück; the President is hesitating over whether to attend the conference → der Präsident ist sich unschlüssig, ob er an der Konferenz teilnehmen soll; I am still hesitating about what I should do → ich bin mir immer noch nicht schlüssig, was ich tun soll; I hesitate to say it, but … → es widerstrebt mir, das zu sagen, aber …; if I did think that, I wouldn’t hesitate to say so → wenn ich wirklich der Meinung (gen) → wäre, hätte ich keine Hemmungen, es zu sagen; don’t hesitate to ask/contact me → fragen Sie mich ruhig/wenden Sie sich ruhig an mich; (more formally) → zögern Sie nicht, mich zu fragen/sich an mich zu wenden

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hesitate [ˈhɛzɪˌteɪt] vi → esitare
to hesitate to do sth → esitare a fare qc
to hesitate about or over sth → esitare in qc
don't hesitate to ask (me) → non aver timore or paura di chiedere

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hesitate [ˈhɛzɪˌteɪt] vi → esitare
to hesitate to do sth → esitare a fare qc
to hesitate about or over sth → esitare in qc
don't hesitate to ask (me) → non aver timore or paura di chiedere

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hesitate

v hesitate [ˈheziteit]

1 to pause briefly eg because of uncertainty He hesitated before answering; The diver hesitated for a minute on the diving-board. aarsel, weifel يَتَرَدَّد колебая се váhat tøve zögern διστάζω vacilar, titubear kõhklema تأمل كردن epäröidä hésiter לְהַסֵס हिचकना oklijevati habozik ragu-ragu hika, vera á báðum áttum esitare ためらう 망설이다 dvejoti vilcināties; svārstīties teragak-agak aarzelen nøle, betenke seg, vakle wahać się hesitar a ezita колебаться váhať oklevati oklevati tveka ลังเล duraksamak, tereddüt etmek 猶豫, 躊躇 затинатися جھجھکنا do dự 犹豫,踌躇

2 to be unwilling (to do something) eg because one is not sure it is right I hesitate to say he lied but he certainly misled me; Don't hesitate to tell me if you have any complaints. aarsel, huiwer يَتَرَدَّد колебая се váhat tøve zögern διστάζω vacilar, dudar kahtlema دودل بودن epäröidä hésiter (à) לְהַסֵס हिचकना biti neodlucan, oklijevati vonakodik ragu-ragu hika, vera ófús eða tregur esitare ためらう 마음이 내키지 않다 nesiryžti vilcināties; svārstīties berasa berat aarzelen betenke seg på, nøle med być niezdecydowanym hesitar a ezita не решаться; стесняться váhať imeti pomisleke oklevati tveka ลังเล çekinmek 不情願 вагатися ہچکچانا ngần ngại 含糊

n hesitancy

the tendency to hesitate. aarseling, besluiteloosheid تَرَدُّد колебливост váhavost tøven; usikkerhed das Zögern διστακτικότητα vacilación, indecisión; titubeo, duda kahevahelolek ترديد epäröinti hésitation הִיסוּס संकोच oklijevanje habozás keraguan efablendni, hik esitazione ためらい 망설임 dvejojimas, neryžtingumas vilcināšanās; svārstīšanās sifat teragak-agak aarzeling usikkerhet, nøling niezdecydowanie hesitação ezi­tare нерешительность váhavosť obotavljanje oklevanje tvekan, tveksamhet ความลังเลใจ tereddüt, duraksama 猶豫 нерішучість; сумнів تذبذب sự do dự; lưỡng lự 踌躇

adj hesitant

making or having frequent hesitations a hesitant speaker; I'm hesitant to tell her she's wrong. huiwerig مُتَرَدِّد нерешителен pomalý, zadrhávající; váhavý tøvende zögernd διστακτικός vacilante, dudoso, indeciso ebakindel مردد epäröivä hésitant מְהַסֵס संकोची koji oklijeva habozó ragu-ragu hikandi, óákveðinn esitante ためらった 망설이는 nedrįstantis, nepasiryžtantis, dvejojantis nedrošs teragak-agak aarzelend famlende, usikker, nølende niezdecydowany hesitante ezitant, nehotărât нерешительный nerozhodný neodločen neodlučan tveksam, tvekande ลังเลใจ kararsız; duraksayan 遲疑的 нерішучий متذبذب do dự; lưỡng lự 踌躇的

adv hesitantly

aarselend, weifelend بِتَرَدُّد колебливо váhavě tøvende zögernd διστακτικά vacilantemente, dudosamente kõhklevalt با ترديد empivästi avec hésitation בְּהִיסוּס हिचकिचाते हुए oklijevajuci, neodlucno határozatlanul dengan ragu-ragu með hiki/óákveðni con esitazione ためらって 머뭇거리며 dvejodamas, neryžtingai nedroši dgn teragak-agak aarzelend famlende, usikkert, nølende z wahaniem, niezdecydowanie hesitantemente ezitant нерешительно váhavo oklevajoče neodlučno tveksamt อย่างลังเล kararsızlık içinde, duraksayarak 猶豫地 нерішуче جھجھک کے ساتھ một cách do lự; lưỡng lự 犹豫地

n hesiˈtation

1 an act of hesitating. aarseling, weifeling عَمَلِيَّة التردُّد колебание váhání tøven das Zögern δισταγμός indecisión, vacilación kõhklus تأمل epäröinti hésitation פִּקפּוּק हिचकिचाहट oklijevanje tétovázás keraguan hik esitazione ためらい 망설임 dvejojimas vilcināšanās teragak-agak aarzeling nøling, vakling wahanie hesitação ezi­tare сомнение váhanie oklevanje oklevanje tvekan ความลังเล duraksama, tereddüt 猶豫 нерішучість تأمل ngập ngừng 踌躇

2 unwillingness or uncertainty. twyfeling, aarseling عدم استِعْداد أو تأكُّد، تَرَدُّد нерешителност pochybnost betænkelighed das Zögern δισταγμός, αβεβαιότητα, απροθυμία vacilación, duda ebakindlus دودلی neuvottomuus hésitation הִיסוּס संकोच neodlucnost, krzmanje habozás ketidakpastian hik, vafi esitazione ためらい 싫은 마음 neryžtingumas svārstīšanās rasa berat aarzeling usikkerhet, uvillighet niepewność hesitação ezitare нерешительность zdráhanie, rozpaky negotovost neodlučnost tveksamhet, villrådighet ความลังเล çekinme, çekingenlik, kararsızlık, bocalama 不情願，遲疑 вагання; сумнів تذبذب sự ngập ngừng 犹豫

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hesitate → يَتَردد zaváhat tøve zögern διστάζω vacilar epäröidä hésiter oklijevati esitare ためらう 주저하다 twijfelen nøle zawahać się hesitar колебаться tveka ลังเลใจ duraksamak do dự 犹豫