hesitate

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈhɛz.ə.teɪt/ UK /ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #5940

Meanings

1

verb
To pause before doing something because you are nervous or unsure.

She hesitated for a moment before answering the question.
2

verb
To be unwilling to do something because you are not sure it is right.

Don't hesitate to call me if you need any help.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to pause before doing... waver pause

2 verb · to be unwilling to do... demur

More boggledeliberate dither falter halt hovermammerscruple stickswitherwaffle

Opposites

brazen decide resolve

Word family

Forms hesitatedhesitateshesitatinghesitatingly

Derived forms hesitanthesitaterhesitatinghesitation hesitativehesitatory

Related forms vacillate

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

He who hesitates is lost

Simplified etymology

Hesitate entered English in the early 17th century from Latin haesitare, “to stick fast, leave undecided,” derived from haerere, “to stick, stay.”

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin haereō Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō ▲ Latin -tō Latin -itō Latin -titō Latin haesitō Latin haesitātusbor. English hesitate Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive of haereō (“to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast”). Displaced native Old English wandian. Compare French hésiter.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# hesitate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈhɛz.ə.teɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 5940

## Meanings
1. To pause before doing something because you are nervous or unsure.
2. To be unwilling to do something because you are not sure it is right.

## Examples
- She hesitated for a moment before answering the question.
- Don't hesitate to call me if you need any help.

## Synonyms
- boggle
- deliberate
- dither
- falter
- halt
- hover
- mammer
- scruple
- stick
- swither
- waffle
- waver

## Antonyms
- brazen
- decide
- resolve

## Derived Forms
- hesitant
- hesitater
- hesitating
- hesitation
- hesitative
- hesitatory

## Related Forms
- vacillate

## Etymology
Etymology tree Latin haereō Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō ▲ Latin -tō Latin -itō Latin -titō Latin haesitō Latin haesitātusbor. English hesitate Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive of haereō (“to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast”). Displaced native Old English wandian. Compare French hésiter.

## AI Etymology
Hesitate is borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive of haereō (“to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast”). Displaced native Old English wandian. Compare French hésiter. The historical chain runs through Latin haereō, Proto-Indo-European *-h₂, Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂, Proto-Indo-European *-yéti, Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti, Proto-Italic *-āō, Latin -ō, Latin -tō, Latin -itō, Latin -titō, Latin haesitō, Latin haesitātus, and English hesitate. In current use, the main senses are “To pause before doing something because you are nervous or unsure” and “To be unwilling to do something because you are not sure it is right”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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