MEANING
To pause before speaking or acting because of uncertainty, reluctance, or apprehension.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- hesitate before answering
- hesitate to enter
- hesitate for a moment
On the page
He hesitated before stepping onto the cracked ice.
Fear of giving away her position made her hesitate to call out.
She hesitated, checked the harness, and continued.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- hesitate / hesitates
- Past tense
- hesitated
- Past participle
- hesitated
- Present participle
- hesitating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- hesitate / hesitates
- Present continuous
- am/is/are hesitating
- Present perfect
- have/has hesitated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been hesitating
- Past
- hesitated
- Past continuous
- was/were hesitating
- Past perfect
- had hesitated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been hesitating
- Future
- will hesitate / hesitates
- Future continuous
- will be hesitating
- Future perfect
- will have hesitated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been hesitating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. A pause is not a refusal; hesitation may be thoughtful rather than fearful. Specify the threat when fear is the cause. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): hesitate, hesitates, hesitated, hesitated, hesitating. Derived family (not additional inflections or records): hesitation.
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