Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Hesitate
Hes′i-tate
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Hesitated
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Hesitating
.] 1.
To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination;
as, he
hesitated
whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate
in forming a judgment. Pope.
Syn. – To doubt; waver; scruple; deliberate; demur; falter; stammer.
Hes′i-tate
,Verb.
T.
To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.
[Poetic & R.]
Just hint a fault, and
hesitate
dislike. Pope.
Webster 1828 Edition
Hesitate
HES'ITATE
,Verb.
I.
1.
To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be doubtful as to fact, principle or determination; to be in suspense or uncertainty; as, he hesitated whether to accept the offer or not. We often hesitate what judgment to form.It is never transitive, unless by poetic license.
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.
2.
To stammer; to stop in speaking.Definition 2024
hesitate
hesitate
English
Alternative forms
- hæsitate (archaic)
Verb
hesitate (third-person singular simple present hesitates, present participle hesitating, simple past and past participle hesitated)
- (intransitive) To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.
- He hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Alexander Pope to this entry?)
- (intransitive) To stammer; to falter in speaking.
- (transitive, poetic, rare) To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.
- Alexander Pope
- Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.
- Alexander Pope
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to stop or pause respecting decision or action
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to stammer; to falter in speaking
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