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
Relevance
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
Seeing the toll these illnesses can have on patients, some countries experience less hesitance with vaccination than the US does, according to experts.
—
Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Boomers are more likely to emphasize resilience, self-reliance, and the belief that personal struggles should be handled privately, that seeking help is a weakness, resulting in a hesitance to seek external support like therapy.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
However, there was hesitance among owners to strip division champions of their first-round home-field advantage, prompting the modification to reseed after the wild-card round.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That’s led to early purchases of some big-ticket items, such as cars, but also fueled consumers’ hesitance to spend in other areas.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Boomers are more likely to emphasize resilience, self-reliance, and the belief that personal struggles should be handled privately, that seeking help is a weakness, resulting in a hesitance to seek external support like therapy.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
However, there was hesitance among owners to strip division champions of their first-round home-field advantage, prompting the modification to reseed after the wild-card round.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That’s led to early purchases of some big-ticket items, such as cars, but also fueled consumers’ hesitance to spend in other areas.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitance
Noun
-
Other key party leaders, such as Gov. Hochul, continue to express reluctance about Mamdani.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
10 July 2025
-
Trump's comments mark his latest criticism of Putin for his reluctance to agree to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire and for Moscow's continuing bombardment of Ukraine.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
On the other hand, hesitation or half-measures will send a clear signal to founders and investors that Israel is content to watch from the sidelines.—
Tomer Niv,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
Despite starting from a neutral position roughly three yards off his line, John shows no hesitation in extending himself nearly 10 yards to reach the edge of his penalty spot and claim the ball with authority.—
Matt Pyzdrowski,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
This public mandate for bold climate action stands in sharp contrast to the political hesitancy now on display.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
While the #MeToo movement has set the stage for French society to listen when survivors of abuse come forward, there is still some hesitancy within families to accept what happened at Bétharram.—
Colette Davidson,
Christian Science Monitor,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Even though no funding has been cut, Jackson condemned the administration, contending the effect of the pause is going to be massive and could result in North Carolina firing about 1,000 educators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
-
Decisions are made, the next task appears, and there’s little pause to examine what worked or what missed.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitance. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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