hesitate
verb
1 hesitate
Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness:
— Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures.
synonyms: waffle, waver.
Roget 475:
be uncertain
etc.
adj.;
wonder whether.
lose the clue,
lose the clew,
scent;
miss one's way.
not know what to make of
etc.
(unintelligibility)
519,
not know which way to turn,
not know whether one stands on one s head or one's not know whether one stands on one s head or one's heels;
float in a sea of doubt,
hesitate,
flounder;
lose oneself,
lose one's head;
muddle one's brains.
render uncertain
etc.
adj.;
put out,
pose,
puzzle,
perplex,
embarrass;
confuse,
confound;
bewilder,
bother,
molder,
addle the wits,
throw off the scent,
ambiguas in vulgus spargere voces [Lat.];
keep in suspense.
doubt
etc.
(disbelieve)
485;
hang in the balance,
tremble in the balance;
depend.
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Roget 583:
stammer,
stutter,
hesitate,
falter,
hammer;
balbutiate†,
balbucinate†,
haw,
hum and haw,
be unable to put two words together.
mumble,
mutter;
maud†,
mauder†;
whisper
etc.
405;
mince,
lisp;
jabber,
gibber;
sputter,
splutter;
muffle,
mump†;
drawl,
mouth;
croak;
speak thick,
speak through the nose;
snuffle,
clip one's words;
murder the language,
murder the King's English,
murder the Queen's English;
mispronounce,
missay†.
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Roget 603:
be unwilling
etc.
adj.;
nill;
dislike
etc.
867;
grudge,
begrudge;
not be able to find it in one's heart to,
not have the stomach to.
demur,
stick at,
scruple,
stickle;
hang fire,
run rusty;
recoil,
shrink,
swerve;
hesitate
etc.
605;
avoid
etc.
623.
oppose
etc.
708;
dissent
etc.
489;
refuse
etc.
764.
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Roget 860:
fear,
stand in awe of;
be afraid
etc.
adj.;
have qualms
etc.
n.;
apprehend,
sit upon thorns,
eye askance;
distrust
etc.
(disbelieve)
485.
hesitate
etc.
(be irresolute)
605;
falter,
funk,
cower,
crouch;
skulk
etc.
(cowardice)
862;
let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would'"
[Macbeth]
take fright,
take alarm;
start,
wince,
flinch,
shy,
shrink;
fly
etc.
(avoid)
623.
tremble,
shake;
shiver,
shiver in one's shoes;
shudder,
flutter;
shake like an aspen leaf,
tremble like an aspen leaf,
tremble all over;
quake,
quaver,
quiver,
quail.
grow pale,
turn pale;
blench,
stand aghast;
not dare to say one's soul is one's own.
inspire fear,
excite fear,
inspire awe,
excite awe;
raise apprehensions†;
be in a daze,
bulldoze [U.S.];
faze,
feeze [U.S.];
give an alarm,
raise an alarm,
sound an alarm;
alarm,
startle,
scare,
cry 'wolf',
disquiet,
dismay;
fright,
frighten,
terrify;
astound;
fright from one's propriety;
fright out of one's senses,
fright out of one's wits,
fright out of one's seven senses;
awe;
strike all of a heap,
strike an awe into,
strike terror;
harrow up the soul,
appall,
unman,
petrify,
horrify;
pile on the agony.
make one's flesh creep,
make one's hair stand on end,
make one's blood run cold,
make one's teeth chatter;
take away one's breath,
stop one's breath;
make one tremble
&c.;
haunt;
prey on the mind,
weigh on the mind.
put in fear,
put in bodily fear;
terrorize,
intimidate,
cow,
daunt,
overawe,
abash,
deter,
discourage;
browbeat,
bully;
threaten
etc.
909.
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Dutch: aarzelen, dralen, schromen, talmen, treuzelen, twijfelen, weifelen
2 hesitate
Interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing.
synonym: pause.
Roget 485:
disbelieve,
discredit;
not believe
etc.
484;
misbelieve†;
refuse to admit
etc.
(dissent)
489;
refuse to believe
etc.
(incredulity)
487.
doubt;
be doubtful
etc.
(uncertain)
475;
doubt the truth of;
be skeptical as to
etc.
adj.;
diffide†;
distrust,
mistrust;
suspect,
smoke,
scent,
smell a rat;
have doubts,
harbor doubts,
entertain doubts,
suspicions;
have one's doubts.
demure,
stick at,
pause,
hesitate,
scruple;
stop to consider,
waver.
hang in suspense,
hang in doubt.
throw doubt upon,
raise a question;
bring in,
call in question;
question,
challenge,
dispute;
deny
etc.
536;
cavil;
cause a doubt,
raise a doubt,
start a doubt,
suggest a doubt,
awake a doubt,
make suspicion;
ergotize†.
startle,
stagger;
shake one's faith,
shake one's belief,
stagger one's faith,
stagger one's belief.
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Roget 605:
be irresolute
etc.
adj.;
hang in suspense,
keep in suspense;
leave "ad referendum";
think twice about,
pause;
dawdle
etc.
(inactivity)
683;
remain neuter;
dillydally,
hesitate,
boggle,
hover,
dacker†,
hum and haw,
demur,
not know one's own mind;
debate,
balance;
dally with,
coquet with;
will and will not,
chaser-balancer†;
go halfway,
compromise,
make a compromise;
be thrown off one's balance,
stagger like a drunken man;
be afraid
etc.
860;
let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would'"
[Macbeth];
falter,
waver vacillate
etc.
149;
change
etc.
140;
retract
etc.
607;
fluctuate;
pendulate†;
alternate
etc.
(oscillate)
314;
keep off and on,
play fast and loose;
blow hot and cold
etc.
(caprice)
608.
shuffle,
palter,
blink;
trim.
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Roget 70:
be discontinuous
etc.
adj.;
alternate,
intermit,
sputter,
stop and start,
hesitate.
discontinue,
pause,
interrupt;
intervene;
break,
break in upon,
break off;
interpose
etc.
228;
break the thread,
snap the thread;
disconnect
etc.
(disjoin)
44;
dissever.
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Dutch: pauzeren
Moby thesaurus: alternate, back down, balance, balk, be dilatory, blench, boggle, call a recess, debate, delay, deliberate, demur, dither, equivocate, falter, fear, fight shy of, filibuster, flinch, fluctuate, fumble, gain time, halt, hang, hang back, hang fire, hang in doubt, hang off, have qualms, haver, haw, hem, hem and haw, hold back, hold off, hover, hum, hum and haw, jib, let up, make bones about, make time, mammer, pause, play for time, ponder, procrastinate, pull back, quail, recess, recoil, rest, retreat, scruple, shilly-shally, shrink, shrink from, shy, shy at, splutter, sputter, stall, stall for time, stall off, stammer, stick at, stickle, stooge around, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain, strain at, stumble, stutter, take a recess, talk against time, temporize, tergiversate, think twice, think twice about, vacillate, wait, waver, wince, withdraw, yield ... show more.
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