hesitance

noun

hes·​i·​tance ˈhe-zə-tən(t)s How to pronounce hesitance (audio)
Synonyms of hesitancenext

Examples of hesitance in a Sentence

sales figures for the month were up, as consumers began to overcome their hesitance about purchasing big-ticket items she mistook my hesitance to mean I didn't like her poem, but I was trying to come up with appropriate words of praise
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her only hesitance was how much the internet has changed culture in the past decade. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 Company leaders have attributed slower demand to higher mortgage rates, economic uncertainty and consumers’ hesitance to spring for pricier projects. Melissa Repko, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026 But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game. Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026 After a little practice breathing through the tube and getting past her initial hesitance, Jenner puts her face into the water, and comes back up immediately, her hair stuck to her skin. Marci Robin, Allure, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hesitance

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hesitance was in 1601

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitance. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

hesitance

noun
hes·​i·​tance ˈhez-ə-tən(t)s How to pronounce hesitance (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster