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
And Patton’s memorable opening speech hints at the film’s hesitancy about turning men into myths.
—
Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Over the past two months, there have been at least four major aviation incidents, which have increased Americans' hesitancy about flight safety.
—Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
Her hesitancy was rooted in knowing that returning to Broadway would be a hard pivot from her cozy lifestyle in Atlanta attending speaking engagements here and there and making appearances that aligned with her mental health advocacy work.
—Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2025
There’s a fight ahead, and Jacob’s hesitancy to accept the changing times likely won’t be his ally in it.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Over the past two months, there have been at least four major aviation incidents, which have increased Americans' hesitancy about flight safety.
—Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
Her hesitancy was rooted in knowing that returning to Broadway would be a hard pivot from her cozy lifestyle in Atlanta attending speaking engagements here and there and making appearances that aligned with her mental health advocacy work.
—Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2025
There’s a fight ahead, and Jacob’s hesitancy to accept the changing times likely won’t be his ally in it.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
His previous relationship, spanning nine years, came to an end due to his reluctance to commit.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Still, with moves to curtail if not shutter the CFPB, the Trump administration signals a reluctance to rein in potentially harmful or predatory behavior on the part of big banks, says Hamrick.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The same hesitation existed with computers, the internet, and smartphones.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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TikTok Reacts Jensen's transformation sparked a wave of reactions in the comments section, with viewers split between admiration and hesitation.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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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Since then, The Bachelorette has had 21 seasons and 23 leads (Seasons 16 and 19 had two Bachelorettes) until February 2025 when news broke that ABC had put the series on pause.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
17 Mar. 2025
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According to fans at the show, an announcer told the crowd that the unplanned pause was due to an electrical fire and said Journey would continue the show, ABC 13 Houston reported.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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