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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitance
Greek hesitance could shift the burden of loading Ukraine’s biggest guns to another NATO country that still operates M110s with compatible ammo: Turkey.
—
David Axe, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
This patience and hesitance to pay up when the market looked good in early trading has served us well so far.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
President-elect Trump is encountering some unlikely openness from Democrats — and hesitance and confusion from Republicans — with his talk of acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
In 2019, when recounting that milestone from her own perspective, McCaskey first recalled the sharp anxiety leading up to the game and her hesitance to answer any of the league’s logistical questions about preparing for the trophy presentation ceremony.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
David Axe, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
This patience and hesitance to pay up when the market looked good in early trading has served us well so far.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
President-elect Trump is encountering some unlikely openness from Democrats — and hesitance and confusion from Republicans — with his talk of acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
In 2019, when recounting that milestone from her own perspective, McCaskey first recalled the sharp anxiety leading up to the game and her hesitance to answer any of the league’s logistical questions about preparing for the trophy presentation ceremony.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
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The post, however, did not offer an explanation for the groom's family's reluctance to attend.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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This reluctance sometimes stems from three key concerns: lack of trust in AI, implementation complexity and job security fears.—
Ron Williams,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Issues related to social justice, politics, sustainability, and mental health regularly intersect with entertainment stories, placing celebrities under pressure to publicly take stances on divisive topics, often without room for error or hesitation.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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Consumer Confidence Is Still in Retreat Even as prices have started to ease, consumer hesitation lingers.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
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Concerns about data quality, compliance and the rapid pace of AI advancements have created hesitancy, particularly when AI is hastily deployed into customer-facing applications.—
Sumit Johar,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The president announced a 90-day pause for several countries but increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
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Hedge fund honcho Bill Ackman joined a growing list of President Donald Trump's billionaire backers calling for the White House to slam the brakes on tariffs just hours before Trump authorized a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for most countries that went into effect Wednesday morning.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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