hesitant
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- hesitance noun
- hesitantly adverb
- nonhesitant adjective
- nonhesitantly adverb
- unhesitant adjective
- unhesitantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of hesitant
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin haesitant-, stem of haesitāns “faltering,” present participle of haesitāre “to falter, hesitate,” literally, “to stick repeatedly,” from haerēre “to stick, cling”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Initially Chloe was hesitant to tell friends and family that she was being affected by infertility.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Scientists at the agency are hesitant to authorize the products due to potential risks to children and new users, the report said.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Some parents are hesitant to lock money into college-savings accounts, preferring financial flexibility in an uncertain world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Is Xavier at all hesitant to accept Sinatra’s mission to find ALEX?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
The rabbits were slow and hesitant and Chervil himself seemed unable to rise to his usual brisk manner.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
