Skip to main content
hesitancy

hesitancy

7 4.2
A short pause before you act because you are not sure
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛzɪtənsi/
translation icon : indecisión
  • But there seems to be more of a hesitancy now to support Israel from within the United States than there has been previously, hasn't there?

I would have no like hesitancy to call the police.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Despite his talent, his hesitancy to apply for the job cost him the opportunity.

  • The greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them.

    Blog text (11)
  • But I feel no hesitancy in writing that.

  • There may be a greater hesitancy to subject loved ones to risk than to take that risk personally.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Vaccination hesitancy is one of the greatest threats to public health throughout the world.

  • Despite the hesitancy of officials, there have been several notable achievements.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Could their hesitancy be attributed primarily to a lack of political will or determination?

    Academic text (1993)
  • So with much hesitancy, we got off the highway at 11 o'clock at night and turned back around.

  • But the hesitancy to take an mRNA vaccine is justified.

  • I care mostly about what actions and changes you're making to ensure you're not making our country's vaccine hesitancy problem worse.

Synonyms

hesitation
vshesitancy
110 2.8

A short pause before you speak or act because you feel unsure

is the ongoing state of uncertainty and unwillingness, not only a single pause
reservation
vshesitancy
73 4.8

A feeling of doubt that makes you hesitate to agree

is the broader state of uncertainty and unwillingness before making a choice
reluctance
vshesitancy
68 3.6

A feeling of not wanting to do something or showing little interest

includes both uncertainty about choices and slowness to act beyond mere unwillingness
indecision
vshesitancy
19 3.4

Not able to make a choice quickly or with confidence

emphasizes holding back from action as part of the same uncertain state
indecisiveness
vshesitancy
3 5.1

Not being able to decide quickly or confidently

is broader, also covering simple doubt and unwillingness to act quickly
hesitance
vshesitancy
3 5.3

A short pause before doing or saying something because you feel unsure

is the general term for that state of doubt and delayed action
vacillation
vshesitancy
2 8.5

Not being able to decide and changing your mind often

is the simpler state of doubt and slowness to act, not constant switching
moments of doubt
vshesitancy
2 4.3

Short times when a person feels unsure about a choice or situation

is a stable state of ongoing uncertainty and delay in deciding or acting
disinclination
vshesitancy
  • Formal
2 8.0

A feeling of not wanting to do something

is more about doubt and inability to decide, not only simple lack of desire
tentativeness
vshesitancy
1 7.0

A feeling of being unsure and slow to decide

includes both uncertainty and the tendency to delay action more generally
irresolution
vshesitancy
1 8.0

Not being able to decide or act

is centered on uncertainty and acting slowly rather than inner moral weakness
indisposition
vshesitancy
1 7.7

A small feeling of not wanting to do something

is a stronger, general state of uncertainty and slowness to decide or act
irresoluteness
vshesitancy
8.9

Not being able to make firm decisions

focuses more on pause from doubt and delay to act
unsureness
vshesitancy
3.8

A feeling of doubt or low confidence

adds an active holding back to act quickly beyond mere lack of confidence
incertitude
vshesitancy
  • Formal
8.9

A feeling of not being sure or confident about something

also covers unwillingness to act quickly and not acting decisively
dubiety
vshesitancy
  • Formal
9.9

A feeling of doubt or uncertainty about something

extends that doubt into a general unwillingness or slowness to take action

Antonyms

certainty
  • Literature
202 3.4

A strong feeling that something is true or will happen

5 3.2

The ability to choose quickly and confidently

Compounds

urinary hesitancy
  • Specialized
7.6

A problem starting the flow of urine

How Hesitant

hesitancy
7 4.2
reluctance
68 3.6
pause
192 1.0

Surface Forms

hesitancy singular
hesitancies plural

Morphology

hesitancy = hesitant (transparent) = hesit + ancy

The noun denotes the state of being 'hesitant' and is directly derived via a standard adjectival-to-noun suffix, so learners who know 'hesitant' or 'hesitate' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word hesitancy comes from the Latin verb haesitāre, meaning 'to stick', and is related to the English word adhere. Imagine your feet 'sticking' to the ground when you are unsure, and that's why hesitancy means a pause or unwillingness to act.