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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary hes·i·tate (-tat·ed ; -tat·ing) ETYMOLOGY Latin haesitatus, past participle of haesitare to stick fast, hesitate, frequentative of haerēre to stick DATE 1598 intransitive verb 1. to hold back in doubt or indecision 2. to delay momentarily : pause 3. stammer transitive verb : to hold back from in doubt or uncertainty wouldn't hesitate to commit herself • hes·i·tat·er noun Synonyms. hesitate , waver , vacillate , falter mean to show irresolution or uncertainty. hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing hesitated before answering the question waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat wavered in his support of the rebels vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision vacillated until events were out of control falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear never once faltered during her testimony English Etymology hesitate 1620s, from L. haesitatum, pp. of haesitare (see hesitation). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ hesitate hesi·tate / 5heziteit / verb1. ~ (about / over sth) to be slow to speak or act because you feel uncertain or nervous (对某事)犹豫,迟疑不决: ▪ [V] She hesitated before replying. 她犹豫了一下才回答。 I didn't hesitate for a moment about taking the job. 我毫不犹豫地接受了那份工作。 ▪ [also V speech] 2. [V to inf] to be worried about doing sth, especially because you are not sure that it is right or appropriate 顾虑；疑虑: Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. 如果有疑问就请尽管和我联系。 • hesi·ta·tion / 7hezi5teiFn / noun [U, C] : She agreed without the slightest hesitation. 她毫不犹豫地同意了。 I have no hesitation in recommending her for the job. 我毫不犹豫地推荐她做这项工作。 He spoke fluently and without unnecessary hesitations. 他说得很流畅,毫不支吾。 IDIOMS ▪ he who 'hesitates (is 'lost) (saying) if you delay in doing sth you may lose a good opportunity 当断不断(,反受其乱)；优柔寡断者坐失良机 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English hesitate verb ADV. briefly, a little, (for) a minute/moment/second, momentarily Alison hesitated a moment, as if she were waiting for him. VERB + HESITATE appear to, seem to | make sb Something about his smile made her hesitate. PREP. about I didn't hesitate about working with Craig. | between He was hesitating between a glass of wine and an orange juice. | over He stood hesitating over whether to join the fight. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition v. Function: verb to show irresolution or uncertainty FF1C;hesitate to buy a new car just nowFF1E; Synonyms: dither, falter, halt, shilly-shally, stagger, vacillate, waver, whiffle, wiggle-waggle Related Words: balk, boggle, demur, scruple, stick, stickle; fluctuate, oscillate, swing; dawdle, delay, dillydally, hang back, procrastinate, stall, temporize; pause Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged hes·i·tate \ˈhezəˌtāt sometimes ˈhezˌtāt or ˈhesə̇ˌtāt, usu -ād.+V\ verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Latin haesitatus, past part of haesitare to stick fast, stammer, hesitate, from the stem of haerēre to stick; akin to Lithuanian gaĩšti to loiter, delay intransitive verb 1. a. : to hold back in doubt or indecision : avoid facing a decision, encounter, or problem < the government hesitated before each policy > b. : to hold back from or as if from scruple < hesitate at treason > 2. : to delay usually momentarily : pause < a glimpse of a deer as it hesitated before disappearing into the underbrush > 3. : stammer transitive verb : to express in a hesitant manner < choose rather to hesitate my opinion than to assert it roundly — J.R.Lowell > Synonyms: hesitate , waver , vacillate , and falter agree in meaning to show irresolution or uncertainty. hesitate implies a pause or other sign of indecision before acting < no properly qualified student should hesitate to apply — Official Register of Harvard University > < the young second officer hesitated to break the established rule of every ship's discipline — Joseph Conrad > < she hesitated a minute and then she said, ‘Yes.’ — Dorothy Baker > waver implies hesitation after having seemed to decide and usually suggests weakness or retreat from a decision < the great man, who never wavered in his faith — H.S.Canby > < he was a good student and possessed an unwavering will — Nora Waln > < Henry was in the grip of his own master-passion and he did not waver — Francis Hackett > vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a decision < the … government has been vacillating in its policies on such emigration — Collier's Year Book > < I have vacillated when I should have insisted; temporized when I should have taken definite action — Ngaio Marsh > falter suggests a hesitation or wavering evident in some physical sign of nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear, as an uncertainty or breaking of the voice < kept the bright excited look upon her face without faltering — F. Tennyson Jesse > < his steps perceptibly falter — Times Literary Supplement > < his eyes did not flinch and his tongue did not falter — Joseph Conrad > |
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