Hesitancy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈhe-zə-tən(t)-sē/ hes·i·tan·cy

Meaning & Definition of Hesitancy

Hesitancy (noun)

  1. the quality or state of being hesitant
  2. slowness in acting or deciding due to doubt or uncertainty, indecision
  3. lack of willingness or eagerness to do something, reluctance

Hesitancy (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: disinclination, hesitance, reluctance, reticence, unwillingness
    related: faltering, fence-sitting, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, shilly-shallying, staggering, vacillation, wavering, wobbling, distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, incertitude, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, skepticism, suspicion, uncertainness, uncertainty
    opposite: inclination, willingness
    near: assurance, assuredness, certainty, certitude, conviction, positiveness, sureness, surety

  2. 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"

    similar: faltering, fence-sitting, hesitance, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering, wobbling
    related: delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty, avoidance, equivocation, aversion, disinclination, indisposition, reluctance, unwillingness, faintheartedness, shyness, timidity, timidness
    near: certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness, alacrity, eagerness, readiness

Related Entry: Hesitance (noun)

Hesitance is a different word from Hesitancy. The synonyms below are for hesitance, not for hesitancy.

  1. a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something

    "sales figures for the month were up, as consumers began to overcome their hesitance about purchasing big-ticket items"

    similar: disinclination, hesitancy, reluctance, reticence, unwillingness
    related: faltering, fence-sitting, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, shilly-shallying, staggering, vacillation, wavering, wobbling, distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, incertitude, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, skepticism, suspicion, uncertainness, uncertainty
    opposite: inclination, willingness
    near: assurance, assuredness, certainty, certitude, conviction, positiveness, sureness, surety

  2. a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action

    "she mistook my hesitance to mean I didn't like her poem, but I was trying to come up with appropriate words of praise"

    similar: faltering, fence-sitting, hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering, wobbling
    related: delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty, avoidance, equivocation, aversion, disinclination, indisposition, reluctance, unwillingness, faintheartedness, shyness, timidity, timidness
    near: certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness, alacrity, eagerness, readiness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hesitancy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hesitancy:

disinclination, hesitance, reluctance, reticence, unwillingness, faltering, fence-sitting, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering, wobbling

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hesitancy

Words with the opposite meaning of Hesitancy:

inclination, willingness

Related Words for Hesitancy

staggering, distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, incertitude, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, skepticism, suspicion, uncertainness, uncertainty, delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, indecisiveness, indetermination, avoidance, equivocation, aversion, indisposition, faintheartedness, shyness

Near Antonyms of Hesitancy

assurance, assuredness, certainty, certitude, conviction, positiveness, sureness, surety, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, alacrity, eagerness, readiness

Origin & Etymology of Hesitancy

First known use: 1617

Words & Phrases Containing Hesitancy

urinary hesitancy, vaccine hesitancy

Frequently Asked Questions about Hesitancy

What does "Hesitancy" mean?

"Hesitancy" means the quality or state of being hesitant. As a noun, it is defined as: the quality or state of being hesitant. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hesitancy"?

Other words for "Hesitancy" include disinclination, hesitance, reluctance, reticence, unwillingness, faltering, fence-sitting and hesitation. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hesitancy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hesitancy"?

There are 48 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hesitancy". Common alternatives include disinclination, hesitance, reluctance, reticence, unwillingness, faltering, fence-sitting, hesitation, indecision and irresolution.

What is the opposite of "Hesitancy"?

Antonyms of "Hesitancy" include inclination and willingness. Near antonyms include assurance, assuredness, certainty and certitude.

How do you use "Hesitancy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hesitancy" in a sentence: "his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy"; "his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit".

Is "Hesitancy" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hesitancy" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Hesitancy"?

"Hesitancy" is pronounced /ˈhe-zə-tən(t)-sē/ and divided into syllables as hes·i·tan·cy.

What is the origin of the word "Hesitancy"?

First known use: 1617.