Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to hesitate
Participle: hesitated
Gerund: hesitating
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | hesitate |
| you | hesitate |
| he;she;it | hesitates |
| we | hesitate |
| you | hesitate |
| they | hesitate |
Perfect
| I | have hesitated |
| you | have hesitated |
| he;she;it | has hesitated |
| we | have hesitated |
| you | have hesitated |
| they | have hesitated |
Past
| I | hesitated |
| you | hesitated |
| he;she;it | hesitated |
| we | hesitated |
| you | hesitated |
| they | hesitated |
Pluperfect
| I | had hesitated |
| you | had hesitated |
| he;she;it | had hesitated |
| we | had hesitated |
| you | had hesitated |
| they | had hesitated |
Future
| I | will hesitate |
| you | will hesitate |
| he;she;it | will hesitate |
| we | will hesitate |
| you | will hesitate |
| they | will hesitate |
Future Perfect
| I | will have hesitated |
| you | will have hesitated |
| he;she;it | will have hesitated |
| we | will have hesitated |
| you | will have hesitated |
| they | will have hesitated |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | hesitate |
| you | hesitate |
| he;she;it | hesitate |
| we | hesitate |
| you | hesitate |
| they | hesitate |
Perfect
| I | have hesitated |
| you | have hesitated |
| he;she;it | have hesitated |
| we | have hesitated |
| you | have hesitated |
| they | have hesitated |
Imperfect
| I | hesitated |
| you | hesitated |
| he;she;it | hesitated |
| we | hesitated |
| you | hesitated |
| they | hesitated |
Pluperfect
| I | had hesitated |
| you | had hesitated |
| he;she;it | had hesitated |
| we | had hesitated |
| you | had hesitated |
| they | had hesitated |
Conditional
Present
| I | would hesitate |
| you | would hesitate |
| he;she;it | would hesitate |
| we | would hesitate |
| you | would hesitate |
| they | would hesitate |
Perfect
| I | would have hesitated |
| you | would have hesitated |
| he;she;it | would have hesitated |
| we | would have hesitated |
| you | would have hesitated |
| they | would have hesitated |
Imperative
| you | hesitate |
| we | Let's hesitate |
| you | hesitate |
Verbs conjugated like 'hesitate'
abacinate,
abalienate,
abase,
abate,
abbreviate,
abdicate,
abduce,
aberrate,
aberuncate,
abirritate,
abjudge,
abjudicate,
abjugate,
abjure,
ablactate,
ablaqueate,
able,
ablegate,
abligate,
abnegate, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'hesitate'
hæsitate,
estate,
evitate,
gestate,
hebetate,
hospitate,
levitate,
meditate,
resinate,
resituate,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- to hesitate
- barcamenarsi, destreggiarsi, essere indeciso, essere titubante, indugiare, nicchiare, peritarsi, prendere tempo, prorogare, stick, temporeggiare, tentennare, tergiversare, esitare, titubare, traccheggiare
- to stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination
- boggle, deliberate, demur, falter, hover, mammer, scruple, stand shilly-shally, stick, waver
- To be uncertain or unable to make a decision about doing something.
- dither
- To dither
- swither
- falter
- waver, fluctuate, vacillate, straddle, hover, dither, flounder, alternate
- delay
- deliberate, wait, pause, linger, demur, defer
Antonyms
- to stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination
- damn the torpedoes, decide, go big or go home, grasp the nettle, resolve, shoot first and ask questions later, shoot from the hip, shoot from the lip, shoot one's mouth off
- Act boldly
- brazen
- falter
- endure, continue, career, flow
- delay
- hasten, speed, expedite, dispatch
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. Etymology tree
2. Latin haereō
3. Proto-Indo-European *-tós
4. Proto-Italic *-tos
5. Latin -tus
6. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
7. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
8. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
9. Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
10. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
11. Proto-Italic *-ājō
12. Proto-Italic *-āō
13. Latin -ō
14. Latin -tō
15. ▲
16. Latin -tō
17. Latin -itō
18. Latin -titō
19. Latin haesitō
20. Latin haesitātusbor.
21. English hesitate
22. 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. See: French '
hésiter'.
Verbs referencing "hesitate"
Ido hezitar.
Sample Sentences
-
“ Wife, you talk like a fool ! Really, it will be something pretty awkward for me, if she is. Haley saw that I hesitated about selling this child, and he'll think I connived at it, to get him out of the way. It touches my honor ! ” And Mr. Shelby left the room hastily.
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] wounds are not upon the surface, and it extorts few cries that human ears can hear; therefore I the more denounce it, as a secret punishment which slumbering humanity is not roused up to stay. I hesitated once, debating with myself, whether, if I had the power of saying ‘Yes ’ or ‘No, ’ I would allow it to be tried in certain cases, where the terms of imprisonment were short; but now, I solemnly [...]
(American Notes for General Circulation)
-
[...] softly. St. Clare lay on his lounge, at the further end of the room. He was lying on his face, with Eva's Bible open before him, at a little distance. Tom walked up, and stood by the sofa. He hesitated; and, while he was hesitating, St. Clare suddenly raised himself up. The honest face, so full of grief, and with such an imploring expression of affection and sympathy, struck his master. He [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] lounge, at the further end of the room. He was lying on his face, with Eva's Bible open before him, at a little distance. Tom walked up, and stood by the sofa. He hesitated; and, while he was hesitating, St. Clare suddenly raised himself up. The honest face, so full of grief, and with such an imploring expression of affection and sympathy, struck his master. He laid his hand on Tom 's, and bowed [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
Topsy hesitated; but, on a second order, pulled out of her bosom a little parcel done up in the foot of one of her own old stockings.
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
[...] sorely strained, by the inroads of the same thing. He had flattered himself on leisure to read his Bible; but there was no such thing as leisure there. In the height of the season, Legree did not hesitate to press all his hands through, Sundays and week-days alike. Why shouldn't he ? — he made more cotton by it, and gained his wager; and if it wore out a few more hands, he could buy better ones. At [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
Tom hesitated. “ Come ! ” said she, in a whisper, fixing her black eyes on him. “ Come along ! He's asleep—sound. I put enough into his brandy to keep him so. I wish I'd had more,—I shouldn't have wanted you. But [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)