hesitation

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˌhɛzəˈteɪʃən/ UK /hɛzɪˈteɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #11343

Meanings

1

noun
A pause before doing something, usually because you are nervous or unsure.

After a moment's hesitation, she signed the contract.
2

noun
Unwillingness or doubt about doing something.

She agreed to help without the slightest hesitation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a pause before doing... wavering

2 noun · unwillingness or doubt... reluctance irresolution

More delay hesitance hesitancyhold-up

Word family

Forms hesitations

Derived forms hesitational

Related forms hesitate

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 Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin haesitātiōbor. English hesitation From Latin haesitātiōnem, accusative singular of haesitātiō (“hesitating, stammering”), from haesitō (“hesitate”). Displaced native Old English ġewand.

haesitātiōnem Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# hesitation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌhɛzəˈteɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /hɛzɪˈteɪʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 11343

## Meanings
1. A pause before doing something, usually because you are nervous or unsure.
2. Unwillingness or doubt about doing something.

## Examples
- After a moment's hesitation, she signed the contract.
- She agreed to help without the slightest hesitation.

## Synonyms
- delay
- hesitance
- hesitancy
- hold-up

## Derived Forms
- hesitational

## Related Forms
- hesitate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: haesitātiōnem

## 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 Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin haesitātiōbor. English hesitation From Latin haesitātiōnem, accusative singular of haesitātiō (“hesitating, stammering”), from haesitō (“hesitate”). Displaced native Old English ġewand.

## AI Etymology
Hesitation comes from Latin haesitātiōnem, accusative singular of haesitātiō (“hesitating, stammering”), from haesitō (“hesitate”). Displaced native Old English ġewand. 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, Proto-Indo-European *-tis, Proto-Italic *-tjō, Latin -tiō, Latin haesitātiō, and English hesitation. In current use, the main senses are “A pause before doing something, usually because you are nervous or unsure” and “Unwillingness or doubt about doing something”.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

markdown