hesitant
adjective
hes·i·tant
ˈhe-zə-tənt 
: slow to act or proceed (as from fear, indecision, or unwillingness) : tending to hesitate : showing or feeling reluctance or hesitation
took a hesitant step towards the door
hesitant about accepting the job
hesitantly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of hesitant in a Sentence
She took a hesitant step back from the door.
He seems hesitant about accepting the job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Many schools were initially hesitant to take strong steps limiting freedom of expression cherished on their campuses.
—
Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Although most of Iran’s missiles were intercepted by Israel, according to Israeli military officials, GasBuddy’s De Haan remains hesitant about what could happen to gas prices next.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Apr. 2024
At that meeting, Ethics Commission board members appeared hesitant to take a stance on the matter, saying their job isn’t to rewrite the ethics code.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Indeed, many of his critics accuse Scott, a former city council member, of being a career politician too hesitant to attack head on the issues facing Black Baltimore residents.
—Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
Also, the number of job quits in the U.S. is declining, suggesting that workers are more hesitant to leave their current jobs.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
The company faced widespread condemnation after users realized the AI seemed hesitant to produce images of white people even with prompts for Nazi soldiers, Vikings, and British kings.
—Maxwell Zeff and Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Warrack sent his findings to Cambodian authorities, but the government was hesitant to act on his research alone.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
School officials are also hesitant to gamble with the risk of children being outdoors during the eclipse without proper supervision.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Although most of Iran’s missiles were intercepted by Israel, according to Israeli military officials, GasBuddy’s De Haan remains hesitant about what could happen to gas prices next.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Apr. 2024
At that meeting, Ethics Commission board members appeared hesitant to take a stance on the matter, saying their job isn’t to rewrite the ethics code.
—Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Indeed, many of his critics accuse Scott, a former city council member, of being a career politician too hesitant to attack head on the issues facing Black Baltimore residents.
—Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
Also, the number of job quits in the U.S. is declining, suggesting that workers are more hesitant to leave their current jobs.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
The company faced widespread condemnation after users realized the AI seemed hesitant to produce images of white people even with prompts for Nazi soldiers, Vikings, and British kings.
—Maxwell Zeff and Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Warrack sent his findings to Cambodian authorities, but the government was hesitant to act on his research alone.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
School officials are also hesitant to gamble with the risk of children being outdoors during the eclipse without proper supervision.
—USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hesitant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hesitant
Cite this Entry
“Hesitant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitant. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hesitant
adjective
hes·i·tant
ˈhez-ə-tənt
: tending to hesitate : slow to act or proceed
hesitantly
adverb
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