verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈhɛz.ə.teɪt/
Australian:/ˈhez.ə.tæɪt/
CMU ARPABET:HH EH1 Z AH0 T EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
He hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment.
September 1, 1742, Alexander Pope, letter to Racine I shall not hesitate to declare myself very cordially, in regard to some particulars about which you have desired an answer.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To stammer; to falter in speaking.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: poetic, rare, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The speaker paused
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pause
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: delay
Narrower terms: hem and haw, scruple
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin haereō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō ▲ Latin -tō Latin -itō Latin -titō Latin haesitō Latin haesitātusbor. English hesitate Borrowed from Latin haesitātus, perfect passive participle of haesitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), intensive of haereō (“to hesitate, stick fast; to hang or hold fast”). Displaced native Old English wandian. Compare French hésiter.
Across languages
Translations
131 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
druaj
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Arabic:
تَرَدَّدَ
(taraddada)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Arabic:
اتردد
(etraded)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Armenian:
վարանել
(varanel)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Armenian:
տատանվել
(tatanvel)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Azerbaijani:
tərəddüd etmək
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Bashkir:
икеләнеү
(ikelənew)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Basque:
zalantzan egon
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Belarusian:
хіста́цца
(xistácca)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Belarusian:
вага́цца
(vahácca)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Bulgarian:
колеба́я се
(kolebája se)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Bulgarian:
двоумя се
(dvoumja se)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Bulgarian:
чудя се
(čudja se)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Catalan:
hesitar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Catalan:
dubtar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Chinese Mandarin:
猶豫 /犹豫
(yóuyù)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Chinese Mandarin:
躊躇 /踌躇
(chóuchú)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Chinese Mandarin:
遲疑 /迟疑
(chíyí)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Czech:
váhat
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Dutch:
aarzelen
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Egyptian:
s-i-in:n-D54
(sjnj)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Esperanto:
heziti
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Finnish:
epäröidä
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Finnish:
aikailla
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Finnish:
empiä
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Finnish:
viivytellä
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Finnish:
vitkastella
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
French:
hésiter
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Galician:
dubidar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
German:
zögern
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Greek:
διστάζω
(distázo)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ancient Greek:
ὀκνέω
(oknéō)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ancient Greek:
αἰσχύνομαι
(aiskhúnomai)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ancient Greek:
φοβέομαι
(phobéomai)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Hebrew:
היסס
(hisés)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Hungarian:
tétovázik
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Hungarian:
habozik
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Hungarian:
hezitál
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Indonesian:
ragu
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Italian:
esitare
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Italian:
titubare
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Japanese:
ためらう
(tamerau)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Japanese:
躊躇する
(chūcho suru)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Japanese:
躊躇う
(tamerau)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Kazakh:
баяулату
(baäulatu)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Kazakh:
күмәндану
(kümändanu)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Kazakh:
бұраландау
(būralandau)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Kazakh:
дүдәмал болу
(düdämal bolu)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Khmer:
ទីមទាម
(tiimtiəm)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Khmer:
ទីទើរ
(tiitəə)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Khmer:
តេងតាង
(teengtaang)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Khmer:
ញីញញូញ
(ñiiññuuñ)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Khmer:
ច្រេញច្រុញ
(crəñcroñ)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Khmer:
ច្រិមច្រុម
(crəmcrom)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Korean:
망설이다
(mangseorida)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Central Kurdish:
دوودڵ بوون
(dûdill bûn)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Latin:
haesitō
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Latin:
dubito
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Lithuanian:
dvejoti
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Lithuanian:
svyruoti
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Luxembourgish:
zécken
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Macedonian:
се колеба
(se koleba)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Māori:
tawhitawhi
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Māori:
kōrapa
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Norwegian:
nøle med å
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Norwegian Bokmål:
nøle
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Old English:
wandian
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Polish:
wahać się
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Portuguese:
hesitar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Portuguese:
vacilar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Portuguese:
titubear
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Quechua:
iskayyay
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Romanian:
ezita
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Romanian:
șovăi
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Romanian:
pregeta
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Romanian:
a se codi
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Russian:
колеба́ться
(kolebátʹsja)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Russian:
ме́длить
(médlitʹ)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Russian:
сомнева́ться
(somnevátʹsja)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Scots:
swither
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Scottish Gaelic:
sòr
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
оклевати
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
оклијевати
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
колебати
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
поколебати
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
двоумити
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
нећкати
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
oklevati
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
oklijevati
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
kolebati
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
pokolebati
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
dvoumiti
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Serbo-Croatian:
nećkati
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Sicilian:
trantulijari
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Slovak:
váhať
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Spanish:
vacilar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Spanish:
dudar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Spanish:
hesitar
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Spanish:
titubear
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Swedish:
tveka
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Tagalog:
magdalawang-isip
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Tamil:
தயங்கு
(tayaṅku)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Thai:
ลังเล
(lang-lee)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Turkish:
çekinmek
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Turkish:
kararsız kalmak
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Turkish:
tereddüt etmek
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ukrainian:
колива́тися
(kolyvátysja)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ukrainian:
хита́тися
(xytátysja)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Ukrainian:
вага́тися
(vahátysja)
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Vietnamese:
chần chừ
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Vietnamese:
do dự
— to stop or pause respecting decision or action
Bulgarian:
заеквам
(zaekvam)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Bulgarian:
заекна
(zaekna)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Catalan:
titubejar
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Czech:
zaváhat
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Danish:
stamme
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Danish:
hakke i det
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Finnish:
epäröidä
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
French:
hésiter
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
German:
zögern
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
German:
stammeln
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Kazakh:
кекештену
(kekeştenu)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Kazakh:
тұтығу
(tūtyğu)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Polish:
jąkać się
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Russian:
запина́ться
(zapinátʹsja)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Russian:
запну́ться
(zapnútʹsja)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Russian:
заика́ться
(zaikátʹsja)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Russian:
заикну́ться
(zaiknútʹsja)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Scots:
hover
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Tamil:
திக்கு
(tikku)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking
Tamil:
குழறு
(kuḻaṟu)
— to stammer; to falter in speaking