hesitate

verb

SayHEZ-uh-taytUS/ˈhɛz.ə.teɪt/AUS/ˈhez.ə.tæɪt/UKHEZ-i-tayt/ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/

3 meanings of hesitate

1
verbintransitive
To pause before acting or deciding, held back by uncertainty or doubt.
He hesitated at the edge of the diving board, unsure whether to jump.
Investors hesitate when the market signals are unclear.
Similarpause, waver, dither, falter, vacillate
2
verbintransitive
To falter or stumble in speech, pausing or stammering while trying to get the words out.
She hesitated mid-sentence, searching for the right word.
Nervous speakers often hesitate when they lose their train of thought.
Similarfalter, stammer, stumble, stutter, pause
3
verbraretransitive
To utter something with hesitation, or to hint at it through a reluctant, faltering manner.
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.
a. 1724, Alexander Pope, The Ms. at Longleat

Practice

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Origin

Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, the perfect passive participle of haesitō, an intensive form of haereō ("to stick fast; to hold fast"). It displaced the native Old English wandian and is comparable to French hésiter.