ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hesitant

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhɛzɪtənt// UK //hˈɛsɪtənt// hes·i·tant

adj. slow to speak or act because you feel unsure or nervous. You might feel this way when you are worried about making a mistake.

adj. showing or feeling a lack of certainty or willingness; tentative in manner or action. Often used predicatively after a linking verb.


SIMPLE

She was hesitant to answer the phone.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee was hesitant to approve the new budget without seeing a more detailed breakdown of the costs.

COMPLEX

Investors remained hesitant throughout the fiscal quarter, waiting for a clearer signal from the central bank before committing to any large-scale acquisitions.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin haesitans, present participle of haesitare (“to stick fast, to hesitate”).

Usage

Commonly followed by a 'to' + infinitive construction or the preposition 'about'.

Pitfall

he was hesitant of the planhe was hesitant about the planThe adjective 'hesitant' typically pairs with 'about' or 'to', not 'of'.

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