hesitation
noun
hes·i·ta·tion
ˌhe-zə-ˈtā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of hesitating
A moment's hesitation could have meant disaster.
I would do it again without hesitation.
2
: a pausing or faltering in speech
Examples of hesitation in a Sentence
one moment's hesitation on my part, and the elusive butterfly was lost to me forever
Recent Examples on the Web
After a moment of hesitation, Leo repeated after the children, even doing the hand gesture.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Don’t let that hesitation temper it.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
His hesitation creates delays during critical decision points where timing is essential.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 15 May 2026
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Don’t let that hesitation temper it.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
His hesitation creates delays during critical decision points where timing is essential.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 15 May 2026
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitation. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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