hesitate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to pause for a short time before you do something because you are not sure if it is right.
to pause or hold back in uncertainty or indecision before performing an action.
Simple“She hesitated for a moment before opening the letter from the university.”
In context“The investor hesitated to commit more capital to the project until the market showed clearer signs of recovery.”
UsageOften followed by the infinitive 'to' or the preposition 'about'.
PitfallI hesitated for asking him for help. I hesitated to ask him for help.The verb hesitate is followed by an infinitive (to + verb), not 'for' + gerund.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to pause while you are talking because you are nervous or having trouble finding the right words.
to falter or pause during speech, often due to nervousness or a search for appropriate phrasing.
Simple“He hesitated during his speech when he forgot the name of the guest.”
In context“The witness hesitated before answering the prosecutor's question, carefully weighing the implications of her testimony.”
UsageIntransitive; describes the manner of speaking rather than the content.
“If a child repeatedly struggles in a particular setting, parents should not hesitate to consider another center that may provide a better fit.”
“If a computer’s price in 2026 seems too good to be true, it probably is—Chuwi’s Unibook is interesting, but I’d hesitate to recommend it as a primary laptop to pretty much anybody.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.