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Word a Day

hesitant

adjective · /ˈhɛzɪtənt/ · Level 3 · Advanced

What does hesitant mean?

hesitant (adjective): lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly.

Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.

How do you pronounce hesitant?

/ˈhɛzɪtənt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does hesitant come from?

Borrowed from Latin haesitans, present participle of haesitare (“to stick fast, to hesitate”).

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Words related to hesitant

From Princeton WordNet 3.1.

Test yourself: do you know “hesitant”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “hesitant” mean?

free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty space to be filled in

Not quite: that's what blank means.

likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial

Not quite: that's what flimsy means.

lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly

Right! That's what “hesitant” means.

having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state

Not quite: that's what primeval means.

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