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
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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
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
This hesitance came courtesy of Putin, who attended the Bucharest conference and lobbied NATO to reject Kyiv’s bid.
—
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2023
Sahar Abi-Hassan, an assistant professor in political science at Northeastern University who studies the behavior of the Supreme Court, says the court might side with TikTok for several reasons, including its historical hesitance toward restricting speech.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2025
Still, Zhu’s hesitance to speak about Shein’s exposure to Xinjiang at the hearing might have been born of pragmatic reasons, or perhaps even strategic ones.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Jan. 2025
As Gaetz's controversies dominated the news cycle and senators on both sides of the aisle expressed hesitance about confirming his nomination, murmurs arose that the Ethics Committee was thinking about finally releasing its report on the lawmaker given the strong public interest.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hesitance 
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2023
Sahar Abi-Hassan, an assistant professor in political science at Northeastern University who studies the behavior of the Supreme Court, says the court might side with TikTok for several reasons, including its historical hesitance toward restricting speech.
—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2025
Still, Zhu’s hesitance to speak about Shein’s exposure to Xinjiang at the hearing might have been born of pragmatic reasons, or perhaps even strategic ones.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Jan. 2025
As Gaetz's controversies dominated the news cycle and senators on both sides of the aisle expressed hesitance about confirming his nomination, murmurs arose that the Ethics Committee was thinking about finally releasing its report on the lawmaker given the strong public interest.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
But my reluctance to buy a Tesla was due to quality control problems and a lackluster interior for the price.—
Eric Bangeman,
Ars Technica,
14 Feb. 2025
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However, some experts say hate speech has proliferated in India as a result of the judiciary’s reluctance to recognize hate speech offenses.—
Aishwarya S Iyer,
CNN,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Republican support But other Republicans had no hesitation in backing her.—
David Lightman,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Feb. 2025
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Additionally, Butler had initial hesitation in going to the Bay.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
And so there’s been no hesitancy with me sending you the Final Draft file.—
Pamela McClintock,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Seems to be a hesitancy to their play, consistent with over-thinking.—
Scott Wheeler,
The Athletic,
29 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Not done yet Martin Truex Jr. has put his retirement on pause for another shot at the Daytona 500.—
Edgar Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2025
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On Friday, a judge prevented the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, on administrative leave, after a pause on all new U.S. foreign assistance programs funded by the State Department and USAID the week prior.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hesitance
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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