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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
Anne-Marie Green: Was there any hesitancy about moving forward with this?
—
Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2025
That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
No hesitancy to fly Trump insisted Americans should not be hesitant to fly in the wake of Wednesday night’s crash.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2025
That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
No hesitancy to fly Trump insisted Americans should not be hesitant to fly in the wake of Wednesday night’s crash.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
The only remotely realistic thing about the episode is the son’s reluctance to consent.—
Samuel Ashworth,
The Atlantic,
20 Mar. 2025
-
However, the absence of Johns from the event is consistent with his continued reluctance to revisit Silverchair’s past.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This kind of training helps eliminate hesitation in critical moments.—
Oleg Fonarov,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
For all his apparent hesitation, though, and his acknowledgment of the problems related to sports betting, Baker is also charged with helping his organization maximize profits.—
Made by History,
TIME,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Mar. 2025
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Soren Toft and Vincent Clerc, the CEOs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, respectively, have called out the lack of safety guarantees as the top reason for their hesitance to return.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
And with Russia’s Vladimir Putin failing to agree to a full pause in the fighting with Ukraine, signs point to a continuing war and uncertain American support for Ukraine.—
Ella Polak,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2025
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Under that agreement, the two sides were supposed to exploit the pause in fighting to negotiate the next stage of the deal, including a permanent cease-fire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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