Hesitate

Meaning

Hesitate means to pause before doing or saying something because you are uncertain, nervous, or unsure about what to do.

Pronunciation

/ˈhez.ɪ.teɪt/

Word Forms

• Base form: hesitate
• Past tense: hesitated
• Past participle: hesitated
• Present participle: hesitating
• Noun: hesitation
• Adjective: hesitant
• Adverb: hesitantly

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• hesitate to do something — to be uncertain or unwilling to do something.
• hesitate before doing something — to pause because you are uncertain about an action.
• hesitate for a moment — to pause briefly before acting or speaking.
• hesitate to ask — to feel uncertain or nervous about asking something.
• hesitate to speak — to pause because you are unsure whether to speak.
• without hesitation — immediately and without uncertainty.

Example Sentences

• She hesitated before answering the difficult question.
• He did not hesitate to help when he saw the accident.
• I hesitated for a moment before opening the door.
• Don't hesitate to ask if you need any help.
• She hesitated because she was not sure which decision was right.

Literary Example

Example:

“On entering the room, he seemed to hesitate; but Jane happened to look round, and happened to smile: it was decided.”

— Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 54

Here, hesitate describes a brief pause caused by uncertainty. Austen uses the moment to show that the character is initially unsure, before Jane's smile resolves the situation.

Story Workshop

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