as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
he was hesitant about committing himself to the oversight of the project, which he knew would be long and difficult
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Recent Examples of hesitant
Energy analysts see Chevron—now operating in partnership with Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA—as the biggest winner in Venezuela because of its existing presence and infrastructure, while others remain hesitant to invest.
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Jordan Blum, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
And companies might be hesitant to rush in — or, rather, rush back in.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Academy players Amorim was clearly hesitant to use some of the club’s academy products.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
This legal normalization fuels a more open dialogue and reduces stigma, encouraging people who were once hesitant to explore cannabis openly and confidently.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hesitant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitant
reluctant
Adjective
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Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after the Parkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.—
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Alex was a more reluctant participant, dutifully tagging along during Maia’s lessons, but more interested in mirroring Michael Jordan’s career on the basketball court.—
Cite this Entry
“Hesitant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitant. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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