1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
sales figures for the month were up, as consumers began to overcome their hesitance about purchasing big-ticket items
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
she mistook my hesitance to mean I didn't like her poem, but I was trying to come up with appropriate words of praise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitance
Trump has taken distinct interest in influencing the Fed, repeatedly criticizing Chair Jerome Powell over his hesitance to back lowering interest rates.
—
Jared Gans, The Hill, 2 Oct. 2025
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Josh Brolin, who played big brother Brandon Walsh, expressed hesitance about a second movie.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Jared Gans, The Hill, 2 Oct. 2025
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Shares have remained relatively stable, affected by investor hesitance regarding China’s steel demand and ongoing worries about Brazil's regulatory landscape.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Josh Brolin, who played big brother Brandon Walsh, expressed hesitance about a second movie.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
Regardless of the reason, the reluctance to approve of hunting for food but not trapping for fur sure seems arbitrary to me.—
Skye Goode,
Outdoor Life,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The film’s reluctance to reckon more fully with Bell’s role effectively shifts attention away from state power and toward interpersonal grievance.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Over time, this hesitation creates cognitive overload, last-minute scrambling and fewer growth opportunities for other leaders.—
Dilan Gomih,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
According to Tuff, what causes leaders to miss these paradigm shifts is not ignorance but hesitation.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are plenty of directions the franchise could go, but a hesitancy to commit to anything more than one-off stories.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
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Big money’s hesitancy Wall Street hasn’t jumped on board with the same fervor as the average Joe.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The White House didn't immediately respond to a query seeking clarity about the scope and timing of any limited pause.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As the officers back away from Pretti, there’s a pause in shooting that lasts just under a second, according to an analysis of the shooting audio by Robert Maher, an audio forensic expert at Montana State University.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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