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
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
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hesitancy
Anne-Marie Green: Was there any hesitancy about moving forward with this?
—
Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2025
That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
No hesitancy to fly Trump insisted Americans should not be hesitant to fly in the wake of Wednesday night’s crash.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2025
That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
No hesitancy to fly Trump insisted Americans should not be hesitant to fly in the wake of Wednesday night’s crash.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
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
-
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Mar. 2025
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Soren Toft and Vincent Clerc, the CEOs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, respectively, have called out the lack of safety guarantees as the top reason for their hesitance to return.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 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
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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