[Latin haesitāre, haesitāt-, to hesitate, frequentative of haerēre, to hold fast.]
hes'i·tat'er n., hes'i·tat'ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to be uncertain, irresolute, or indecisive. To hesitate is to hold back or pause because of doubt or uncertainty: "A President either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him" (Harry S. Truman).
Vacillate implies going back and forth between alternative, usually conflicting courses: She vacillated about whether to go or to stay. Waver suggests having second thoughts about a decision: After much wavering, he finally gave his permission.
To falter is to be unsteady in resolution or action: He resolved to ask for a raise but faltered when his boss entered the room.
to pause briefly eg because of uncertainty Example: He hesitated before answering; The diver hesitated for a minute on the diving-board.
Arabic:
يَتَرَدَّد
Chinese (Simplified):
犹豫,踌躇
Chinese (Traditional):
猶豫, 躊躇
Czech:
váhat
Danish:
tøve
Dutch:
aarzelen
Estonian:
kõhklema
Finnish:
empiä
French:
hésiter
German:
zögern
Greek:
διστάζω
Hungarian:
habozik
Icelandic:
hika, vera á báðum áttum
Indonesian:
ragu-ragu
Italian:
esitare
Japanese:
ためらう
Korean:
머뭇거리다
Latvian:
vilcināties; svārstīties
Lithuanian:
dvejoti
Norwegian:
nøle, betenke seg, vakle
Polish:
wahać się
Portuguese (Brazil):
hesitar
Portuguese (Portugal):
hesitar
Romanian:
a ezita
Russian:
колебаться
Slovak:
váhať
Slovenian:
oklevati
Spanish:
vacilar, titubear
Swedish:
tveka
Turkish:
duraksamak, tereddüt etmek
hesitate2[ˈheziteit]verb
to be unwilling (to do something) eg because one is not sure it is right Example: I hesitate to say he lied but he certainly misled me; Don't hesitate to tell me if you have any complaints.
A*ghast"\, a & p. p. [OE. agast, agasted, p. p. of agasten to terrify, fr. AS. pref. [=a]- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig. meaning out) + g?stan to terrify, torment: cf. Goth. usgaisjan to terrify, primitively to fix, to root to the spot with terror; akin to L. haerere to stick fast, cling. See Gaze, Hesitate.] Terrified; struck with amazement; showing signs of terror or horror. Aghast he waked; and, starting from his bed, Cold sweat in clammy drops his limbs o'erspread. --Dryden. The commissioners read and stood aghast. --Macaulay.
Gaze\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Gazed; p. pr. & vb. n. Gazing.] [OE. gasen, akin to dial. Sw. gasa, cf. Goth. us-gaisjan to terrify, us-geisnan to be terrified. Cf. Aghast, Ghastly, Ghost, Hesitate.] To fixx the eyes in a steady and earnest look; to look with eagerness or curiosity, as in admiration, astonishment, or with studious attention. Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? --Acts i. 11. Syn: To gape; stare; look. Usage: To Gaze, Gape, Stare. To gaze is to look with fixed and prolonged attention, awakened by excited interest or elevated emotion; to gape is to look fixedly, with open mouth and feelings of ignorant wonder; to stare is to look with the fixedness of insolence or of idiocy. The lover of nature gazes with delight on the beauties of the landscape; the rustic gapes with wonder at the strange sights of a large city; the idiot stares on those around with a vacant look.
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