hesitant

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈhɛzɪtənt/ UK /ˈhɛzɪtənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
tentative or unsure; slow to act or decide

She was hesitant to commit before reading the full agreement.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · tentative or unsure; slow... tentative reluctant uncertain irresolute wavering diffident unsure faltering

Opposites

decisive resolute confident certain eager

Word family

Forms hesitantly

Derived forms hesitantly

Related forms hesitate hesitation hesitancy

Etymology

From Latin haesitantem (accusative of haesitans), present participle of haesitare ('to stick fast, be undecided'), frequentative of haerere ('to cling, stick').

haesitare Latin haerere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# hesitant

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈhɛzɪtənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhɛzɪtənt/

## Meanings
1. tentative or unsure; slow to act or decide

## Examples
- She was hesitant to commit before reading the full agreement.

## Synonyms
- tentative
- reluctant
- uncertain
- irresolute
- wavering
- diffident
- unsure
- faltering

## Antonyms
- decisive
- resolute
- confident
- certain
- eager

## Derived Forms
- hesitantly

## Related Forms
- hesitate
- hesitation
- hesitancy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: haesitare
- Root: haerere

## Etymology
From Latin haesitantem (accusative of haesitans), present participle of haesitare ('to stick fast, be undecided'), frequentative of haerere ('to cling, stick').

## AI Etymology
Hesitant comes from Latin haesitantem (accusative of haesitans), present participle of haesitare ('to stick fast, be undecided'), frequentative of haerere ('to cling, stick'). The etymological trail includes Latin haesitare and Latin haerere. As an adjective, hesitant describes what is tentative or unsure; slow to act or decide. The same family is visible in derived forms such as hesitantly and related forms such as hesitate, hesitation, and hesitancy.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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