Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Inclined or tending to hesitate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Hesitating; pausing; irresolute; not ready in determining, doing, or saying; wanting readiness of speech.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Not prompt in deciding or acting; hesitating.
  • adjective Unready in speech.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Tending to hesitate, wait, or proceed with caution or reservation.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin stem of haesitans, present participle of haesitare ("to stick fast, to hesitate")

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Examples

  • He glanced at me, his expression hesitant, as if uncertain of how I would react to what he was about to reveal, I gave a nod.

    Before Midnight Cameron Dokey 2007

  • All over the country recession-weary businesses remain hesitant to spend cash trying to pump up sales, but signs of recovery are popping up all over.

    The Companies Hiring The Most In Sales Right Now Jacquelyn Smith 2010

  • All over the country recession-weary businesses remain hesitant to spend cash trying to pump up sales, but signs of recovery are popping up all over.

    The Companies Hiring The Most In Sales Right Now Jacquelyn Smith 2010

  • Some market participants were described as hesitant to buy around current levels, waiting for a further pullback as a bargain-hunting opportunity.

    Gold Slides to $1,099.30 Allen Sykora 2010

  • Some market participants were described as hesitant to buy around current levels, waiting for a further pullback as a bargain-hunting opportunity.

    Gold Slides to $1,099.30 Allen Sykora 2010

  • Some market participants were described as hesitant to buy around current levels, waiting for a further pullback as a bargain-hunting opportunity.

    Gold Slides to $1,099.30 Allen Sykora 2010

  • So if you get a victim that ` s hesitant, that is reliant [SIC] to come forward, that is reliant [SIC] to cooperate with investigators and you have a district attorney ` s office that says, "Well, she ` s not cooperative; she ` s being unreliable right now," it very well could take that long.

    CNN Transcript Nov 4, 2009 2009

  • The press-agents and orators popularized the war with the unthinking and the hesitant, which is proof enough to me that we lack national unity and a definite national policy.

    The Pride of Palomar 1918

  • Obama, his own self, can be found careening around the country like an over - caffeinated Chihuahua engaged in a last ditch effort to sell the bill to what you might call his hesitant posse.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Will Durst 2010

  • Obama, his own self, can be found careening around the country like an over-caffeinated Chihuahua engaged in a last-ditch effort to sell the bill to what you might call his hesitant posse.

    columbiatribune.com stories By WILL DURST 2010

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