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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
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
Despite his hesitancy about giving up his role, Devers adjusted to being an everyday DH.
—Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Yet investors in recent weeks had shown hesitancy about longer-duration bonds like the 30-year bond, Hughey said.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
Usually developers are more than happy to broadcast their renderings far and wide, and their hesitancy here is a small but unmistakable red flag.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
Despite his hesitancy about giving up his role, Devers adjusted to being an everyday DH.
—Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Yet investors in recent weeks had shown hesitancy about longer-duration bonds like the 30-year bond, Hughey said.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
Usually developers are more than happy to broadcast their renderings far and wide, and their hesitancy here is a small but unmistakable red flag.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
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
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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
-
Several major automakers are investing billions of dollars into American EV production despite the U.S. hesitance to adopt EVs.—
Charles Singh,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
-
Despite hesitance from some Republican senators, all of Trump’s nominees who have come for a vote on the floor have been confirmed, even his most contentious picks.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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