Hesitate
/ˈhɛz.ɪ.teɪt/noun
To pause before acting or speaking, especially because of uncertainty or reluctance.
Did you know?Hesitate comes from Latin haesitare, a frequentative of haerere, meaning “to stick, cling, or be fastened,” so the word originally described a mind that couldn’t let go.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵhes- / *ghais-
“to stick, cling, or be fixed”
Latin
Latin
haerēre
“to stick fast, cling, be fixed”
Latin
Latin
haesitāre
“to hesitate, to be slow or uncertain; to keep sticking or pausing”
Old French
Old French
hésiter
“to hesitate, waver, or delay”
Late Middle English
English
hesiten / hesitate
“to pause, waver, or delay in action”
Modern English
English
hesitate
“to pause before acting or speaking, especially because of uncertainty or reluctance”