hesitation
noun
hes·i·ta·tion
ˌhe-zə-ˈtā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of hesitating
2
: a pausing or faltering in speech
Synonyms
Examples of hesitation in a Sentence
one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever
Recent Examples on the Web
In the video, a man, dressed in black clothes with a gray scarf, black hat and white shoes, could be seen walking up to the porch with no hesitation, bending down and swiping a white envelope before turning to walk away.
—
Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
So, there’s some kind of hesitation toward reality.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Some of Biden’s hesitation to speak with the traditional news media likely stems from his frustration with how members of the press have covered him and his campaign.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
This initial hesitation may have been understandable, given the uncertainty over how Ukraine would fare.
—Ivo Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 26 Mar. 2024
So, for a character, there’s always a kind of hesitation, some kind of mistrust toward what’s in front of you.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
One regional actor particularly benefits from Washington’s hesitation or disengagement: the Islamic Republic of Iran.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
But there may be more hesitation to pull the trigger now.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Entire nations overcame their fears and hesitation and became our strong backers in war—Britain, and Germany, grappling all along with their own history, and so many other nations as well, united behind the crystal-clear vision of the horrifying threat of Russian aggression.
—TIME, 2 Mar. 2024
Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
So, there’s some kind of hesitation toward reality.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Some of Biden’s hesitation to speak with the traditional news media likely stems from his frustration with how members of the press have covered him and his campaign.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
This initial hesitation may have been understandable, given the uncertainty over how Ukraine would fare.
—Ivo Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 26 Mar. 2024
So, for a character, there’s always a kind of hesitation, some kind of mistrust toward what’s in front of you.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
One regional actor particularly benefits from Washington’s hesitation or disengagement: the Islamic Republic of Iran.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
But there may be more hesitation to pull the trigger now.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
Entire nations overcame their fears and hesitation and became our strong backers in war—Britain, and Germany, grappling all along with their own history, and so many other nations as well, united behind the crystal-clear vision of the horrifying threat of Russian aggression.
—TIME, 2 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hesitation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitation. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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