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hesitation

[hez-i-tey-shuhn]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

the act of hesitating; a delay due to uncertainty of mind or fear: His hesitation cost him the championship.

a state of doubt or uncertainty.

a halting or faltering in speech.

Origin:
1615–25; < Latin haesitātiōn- (stem of haesitātiō). See hesitate, -ion

Related forms

pre·hes·i·ta·tion, noun

Synonyms
2. hesitancy, indecision, irresolution, vacillation. 3. stammer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To hesitation

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Hesitation is always a great word to know.

So is doohickey. Does it mean:

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

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Example Sentences

Biologists have little hesitation in linking humans' success to their sociality.

There should be no shame or hesitation in sending out a good article, even if it has been rejected.

But the government's hesitation in saving its national champions nonetheless demonstrates its fiscal limits.

EXPAND

Biologists have little hesitation in linking humans' success to their sociality.

There should be no shame or hesitation in sending out a good article, even if it has been rejected.

But the government's hesitation in saving its national champions nonetheless demonstrates its fiscal limits.

Both claim they would sacrifice their own lives for the life of a whale without hesitation.

What is the hesitation to accept that this could be a real illness.

As always, that's caused no hesitation in wild speculation on the part of paleontologists.

Some people are able to tackle those problems head-on, without any apparent fear or hesitation.

There is a little hesitation on the part of modistes, who do not want to change the fashion too abruptly, as.

My only hesitation is that such explanations don't win over those who see the original examples as exactly parallel.

Given a long stick and a stone too big to fit down the tube, they chose the stick without hesitation.

We asked if he knew what a vortex was, and without hesitation he said it was a portal between heaven and earth.

Mistakes and hesitation would be taken as evidence that the primitive ideas of childhood still retain some power.

He easily clears a five foot fence, will trot for miles and swims a mile without hesitation or exhaustion.

Any hesitation on their part and they can kiss it all goodbye.

When humans are in dire need there should be no hesitation to help.

So they discussed hesitation not in terms of their own discomfort but fear of causing discomfort.

Without hesitation he told them to set it in a position to play the guitar.

Tricky or not, healthy adults can successfully complete the task with only minor hesitation.

He logged that hesitation on the turnpike so he could examine it later.

Wu's to make decisions with speed and flexibility, shifting products and markets with little hesitation.

Thanksgiving often brings out a certain hesitation about eating meat in otherwise eager urban carnivores.

Then, when it happened, the republic was crippled by hesitation.

I've always felt an instinctive hesitation before entering a crowded public pool.

Independently of each other, both male testers chose the tighter side without the slightest hesitation.

The hesitation towards goverment support of newspapers, and media in general, doesn't make any sense to me.

If you need further information, then you can mail me without any hesitation.

The reason behind the hesitation is the political clout of existing traders.

If your biggest hesitation about the app before was the lack of local multiplayer, now's your chance to dive in.

Upon sensing our hesitation after a noble initial taste, our host grabbed all our portions with glee.

Fear makes you hesitant and the hesitation is often what gets you hurt.

The borrower feels abandoned in his hour of need because of this hesitation.

These kids know this is their future and they embrace it without any hesitation.

His hesitation is certainly shared by many, including the silent hypocrites.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

hesitate (ˈhɛzɪˌteɪt)

—vb
1.	to hold back or be slow in acting; be uncertain
2.	to be unwilling or reluctant (to do something)
3.	to stammer or pause in speaking

[C17: from Latin haesitāre, from haerēre to cling to]

'hesitater

—n

'hesitator

—n

'hesitatingly

—*adv*

hesi'tation

—n

'hesitative

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

hesitation

1620s, from L. hæsitationem (nom. hæsitatio) "irresolution, uncertainty," from hæsitare "stick fast, stammer in speech, be undecided," freq. of hærere "stick, cling," from PIE *ghais-eyo (cf. Lith. gaistu "to delay, tarry").

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"We are a puny and fickle folk. Avarice, hesitation, and following are our diseases."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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