1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
This hesitancy and worry about speaking up is the way free speech dies.
—
Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
That same hesitancy could lead to a self-fulfilling doom loop.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
The recent flare-ups—including currently active outbreaks in Utah and Florida—have come amid a steady decline in vaccination rates and rising hesitancy and antivaccine messaging from the highest levels of government.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 29 Apr. 2026
State data suggests this hesitancy may continue into childhood.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
That same hesitancy could lead to a self-fulfilling doom loop.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
The recent flare-ups—including currently active outbreaks in Utah and Florida—have come amid a steady decline in vaccination rates and rising hesitancy and antivaccine messaging from the highest levels of government.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 29 Apr. 2026
State data suggests this hesitancy may continue into childhood.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
There’s also a reluctance to become reliant on Nvidia’s chips on the Chinese side.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
The Assembly echoed the Senate’s reluctance to make cuts to safety net programs.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
There can be apathy and hesitation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 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
Noun
-
After a pause for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, social hesitance was still evident and masks were incorporated into some of the night's designs.—
Luis Giraldo,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
Sensing hesitance as well as incompetence, coaches and players alike tried to sway the flailing fill-ins at every turn.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There was a pause in the action in the fourth inning when plate umpire Brian O’Nora exited with concussion-like symptoms after getting hit by a foul ball.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
Let’s pause here for a moment for an important bit of context.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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