he
si
tate
Third Person
hesitates
Present Participle
hesitating
Past Tense
hesitated
Past Participle
hesitated
1
to pause before saying or doing something because of uncertainty or nervousness
- When asked about the promotion, Sarah hesitated before responding.
- Facing the unexpected question, the candidate hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing her words before replying.
- John hesitated before entering the unfamiliar building, wondering if he was in the right place.
- Confronted with the difficult decision, Tom hesitated, weighing the pros and cons before making a choice.
- In the heated debate, the politician hesitated before addressing the controversial topic.
2
to stammer or pause during speech, often due to uncertainty, nervousness, or difficulty in finding the right words
- Nervous about the public speaking engagement, the speaker hesitated through the opening lines of the presentation.
- In the heated debate, the politician hesitated and stammered, trying to respond to the unexpected question from the audience.
- The actor hesitated during the intense scene, struggling to deliver the lines accurately.
- In the court deposition, the witness hesitated when asked about the events leading up to the incident.
Synonyms: