SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
hesitancy
noun
Reluctance or delay in acting because of doubt or uncertainty.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Reluctance or uncertainty
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topHesitancy can come from doubt rather than opposition; unwillingness indicates a stronger lack of desire.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See hesitancy in use
His hesitancy disappeared once the instructions clarified what was expected.
Selecting a title for their reading group produced some hesitancy because members were unsure how the name would sound to newcomers.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license