hesitancy

UK: /ˈhɛzɪtənsi/ US: (hez′i tən sē)

Inflections of 'hesitancy' (n): npl: hesitancies

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hes•i•tan•cy  (hez′i tən sē), n., pl. -cies. 

1. hesitation;
   indecision or disinclination.

Also, hes′i•tance. 

• Latin haesitantia. See hesitant, -ancy
• 1610–20

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hes•i•tant /ˈhɛzɪtənt/   adj. 

1. tending to hesitate;
   undecided or doubtful;
   uncertain:
   a hesitant manner.

hes•i•tan•cy, n. [uncountable]
hes•i•tant•ly, adv. See -hes-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hes•i•tant  (hez′i tənt), adj. 

1. hesitating;
   undecided, doubtful, or disinclined.
2. lacking readiness of speech.

• Latin haesitant- (stem of haesitāns), present participle of haesitāre to falter, hesitate, equivalent. to haes(us), past participle of haerēre to stick, hold fast + -it- frequentative suffix + -ant- -ant
• 1640–50

hes′i•tant•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hesitant / ˈhɛzɪt^ənt/ adjective

1. wavering, hesitating, or irresolute

ˈhesitance, ˈhesitancy noun

ˈhesitantly adverb