Meaning

3 senses

  1. (intransitive)To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.

    He hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment.

    September 1, 1742, Alexander Pope, letter to Racine I shall not hesitate to declare myself very cordially, in regard to some particulars about which you have desired an answer.

    zögern

    колеба́тьсяkolebátʹsja, ме́длитьmédlitʹ, сомнева́тьсяsomnevátʹsja

    колива́тисяkolyvátysja, хита́тисяxytátysja, вага́тисяvahátysja

    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

  2. (intransitive)To stammer; to falter in speaking.

    zögern, stammeln

    запина́тьсяzapinátʹsja, запну́тьсяzapnútʹsja, заика́тьсяzaikátʹsja

  3. (poetic, rare, transitive)To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.

Examples

296 sentences

  1. Don't hesitate to ask me questions.

    Не вагайся ставити будь-які запитання. — deniko

    ruНе стесняйся задавать мне вопросы. — Karok

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. He hesitated before answering.

    Він вагався перед тим, як відповісти. — Wordowl

    ruОн колебался, перед тем как ответить. — vilnat

    deEr zögerte, bevor er antwortete. — MUIRIEL

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Why did Tom hesitate?

    Чому Том вагався? — deniko

    ruПочему Том колебался? — marafon

    deWarum zögerte Tom? — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

    Не вагайтеся ставити питання. — aandrusiak

    ruНе стесняйтесь задавать вопросы. — marafon

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. He hesitated for a while.

    Він на мить завагався. — tikan0

    ruОн поколебался мгновение. — marafon

    deEr zögerte eine Weile. — xtofu80

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
to stop or pause respecting decision or action:
Русский
By meaning 2
to stop or pause respecting decision or action:
to stammer; to falter in speaking:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
to stop or pause respecting decision or action:
to stammer; to falter in speaking:

Origin

Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-form

Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive of haereō (“to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast”). Displaced native Old English wandian. Compare French hésiter.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

hesitates, hesitating, hesitated, hesitated
Base formhesitate · to hesitate
3rd person singularhesitates
Present participlehesitating
Past simplehesitated
Past participlehesitated

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyhesitate
he, she, ithesitates

Past simpleLesson

all personshesitated

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave hesitated
he, she, ithas hesitated

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill hesitate

Synonyms

24 synonyms
to falter in speaking:falterB2stammerB2stumbleB1balbucinatebalbutiatehemhawstutter
deliberateC2ditherC1hoverB2stickB1mammerscruplewaverbogglewobblehaltwafflestand shilly-shallyswither
to stop respecting decision or action:demur
Close in meaning
  • pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness:waverwaffle
  • interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing:pause

Antonyms

10 antonyms
damn the torpedoesdecideA2brazengrasp the nettlego big or go homeresolveB1shoot first and ask questions latershoot from the hipshoot from the lipshoot one's mouth off

Word family

10 related words
Relatedthink twicevacillatehesitanthesitationhesitaterhesitancyhesitator
Derivedhesitatinghesitativehesitatory

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

6 patterns
  • hesitate to ask
  • hesitate to contact
  • hesitate to call
  • hesitated for a
  • hesitate to tell
  • didn't hesitate to

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
hersA1herselfA2hesitanthesitantlyhesitationB2hessianhetero

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

hesitate — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto