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
Older exercisers who are new to strength training may feel shame or hesitation around their abilities, eventually leading to dropout.
—
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Jesse Plemons is revealing his hesitation about a Friday Night Lights storyline in which his character Landry committed murder.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
Holland plays these emotional crosscurrents with exquisite restraint, letting hesitation, guilt, and longing flicker across his face before a single word lands.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa – a former al-Qaeda member – pledged inclusion and vowed to protect all of Syria’s diverse communities, but has been met with hesitation from some groups that continue to see targeted acts of violence.
—Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
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.
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Jesse Plemons is revealing his hesitation about a Friday Night Lights storyline in which his character Landry committed murder.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
Holland plays these emotional crosscurrents with exquisite restraint, letting hesitation, guilt, and longing flicker across his face before a single word lands.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa – a former al-Qaeda member – pledged inclusion and vowed to protect all of Syria’s diverse communities, but has been met with hesitation from some groups that continue to see targeted acts of violence.
—Eyad Kourdi, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
Cite this Entry
“Hesitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hesitation. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share