hesitation
noun
hes·i·ta·tion
ˌhe-zə-ˈtā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of hesitating
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
Music can reduce hesitation in emergencies by providing a familiar and structured rhythm.
—
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2025
Still, the key to first-person address, as that great Renaissance master Michel de Montaigne understood, is not to subtract complication but to supply it, registering doubt, hesitation, and irony even while developing an argument.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
So when the owners of Telescope Pictures, the sole bearer of the 75-year-old Ocean City tradition, asked the council for help staying afloat, the council had no hesitation in lending a hand.
—Brendan Nordstrom, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2025
An acceleration hesitation, often called turbo lag, is prominent.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitation
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Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2025
Still, the key to first-person address, as that great Renaissance master Michel de Montaigne understood, is not to subtract complication but to supply it, registering doubt, hesitation, and irony even while developing an argument.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
So when the owners of Telescope Pictures, the sole bearer of the 75-year-old Ocean City tradition, asked the council for help staying afloat, the council had no hesitation in lending a hand.
—Brendan Nordstrom, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2025
An acceleration hesitation, often called turbo lag, is prominent.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 20 July 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 Aug. 2025.
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