hesitate
21hesitate*/ — [ˈhezɪˌteɪt] verb to pause before doing something because you are nervous or not certain about it He hesitated a moment, and then knocked on the door.[/ex] • don t hesitate to do sth spoken used for encouraging someone to do something[/ex] [i]Don …
22hesitate — hesitater, hesitator, n. hesitatingly, adv. /hez i tayt /, v.i., hesitated, hesitating. 1. to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination: She hesitated to take the job. 2. to have scruples or doubts; be unwilling:… …
23hesitate — [17] Etymologically, to hesitate is to become ‘stuck’. The word comes from Latin haesitāre, a derivative of haerēre ‘hold fast, stick’ (which gave English adhere). The underlying idea is of being ‘held back’, or in speech of ‘stammering’, and… …
24hesitate — verb 1) she hesitated, unsure of what to say Syn: pause, delay, wait, shilly shally, dither, stall, temporize; be of two minds, be uncertain, be unsure, be doubtful, be indecisive, hedge, equivocate, fluctuate, vacillate, wa …
25hesitate — verb 1) she hesitated, unsure of what to say Syn: pause, delay, wait, stall, be uncertain, be unsure, be doubtful, be indecisive, vacillate, waver; Brit. haver; informal dilly dally 2) don t hesitate to ask Syn …
26hesitate — hes•i•tate [[t]ˈhɛz ɪˌteɪt[/t]] v. tat•ed, tat•ing 1) to be reluctant to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination 2) to have scruples or doubts about something 3) to stop for a moment; pause 4) to stammer 5) to have scruples or doubts… …
27hesitate — /ˈhɛzəteɪt / (say hezuhtayt) verb (i) (hesitated, hesitating) 1. to hold back in doubt or indecision: to hesitate to believe. 2. to have scrupulous doubts; be unwilling. 3. to pause. 4. to falter in speech; stammer. {Latin haesitātus, past… …
28hesitate — [17] Etymologically, to hesitate is to become ‘stuck’. The word comes from Latin haesitāre, a derivative of haerēre ‘hold fast, stick’ (which gave English adhere). The underlying idea is of being ‘held back’, or in speech of ‘stammering’, and… …
29hesitate — v.intr. 1 (often foll. by about, over) show or feel indecision or uncertainty; pause in doubt (hesitated over her choice). 2 (often foll. by to + infin.) be deterred by scruples; be reluctant (I hesitate to inform against him). Derivatives:… …
30hesitate — Synonyms and related words: alternate, back down, balance, balk, be dilatory, blench, boggle, call a recess, debate, delay, deliberate, demur, dither, equivocate, falter, fear, fight shy of, filibuster, flinch, fluctuate, fumble, gain time, halt …