hesitate
gb/hˈɛzɪtˌeɪt/ us/hˈɛzɪtˌeɪt/
B1
Inglês
~ 1600
Acepções
0 acepção
Verbo
B1
action
1
Pause because of uncertainty or fear
To stop for a short time before you do or say something because you feel unsure or worried.
Padrão de uso:
to hesitate before [doing something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hesitate' with 'wait'. 'Wait' means to stay until something happens, while 'hesitate' means to pause because you are unsure.
Sinônimos
pause (A more general term for stopping briefly, not always due to uncertainty.)
|
waver (Suggests a lack of firmness in decision, often over a longer time.)
Antônimos
act (To take action without pausing or delaying.)
|
decide (To make a choice firmly without delay.)
Colocações
hesitate to ask
|hesitate before speaking
|hesitate for a moment
|did not hesitate
Temas
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She hesitated before knocking on the door.
- He didn't hesitate to help when she asked.
- I hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say.
- They hesitated before signing the contract.
Exemplos para estudantes
- I hesitated before I spoke.
- He did not hesitate to help me.
- She hesitated for a second and then ran.
- We hesitated before we went inside.
Verbo
B1
action
2
Be unwilling or slow to act
To not want to do something right away because you think it may be bad or hard.
Padrão de uso:
to hesitate to [do something]
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this with 'refuse', but 'hesitate' implies uncertainty rather than a firm no.
Sinônimos
delay (To put off action, which may be intentional and not only due to reluctance.)
|
hold back (Informal; suggests stopping oneself from acting.)
Antônimos
jump at (To accept an opportunity quickly and eagerly.)
|
rush into (To do something quickly without thinking.)
Colocações
hesitate to speak up
|hesitate to spend money
|hesitate to interfere
Temas
emotions
|decision-making
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She hesitated to tell him the truth.
- I hesitate to recommend this restaurant after my last visit.
- They hesitated to invest in the risky project.
Exemplos para estudantes
- I hesitate to ask you for help.
- She hesitates to try new food.
- They hesitate to join the game.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
hesitate
AFI
GB/hˈɛzɪtˌeɪt/
US/hˈɛzɪtˌeɪt/
Sílabas e tonicidade
hes - it - ate (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (hes)
Formas da palavra
Verb
- Base: hesitate
- 3rd Person Singular: hesitates
- Present Participle: hesitating
- Past: hesitated
Família de palavras
Forms
hesitates
verb
hesitating
verb
hesitated
verb
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unhesitating
adjective
unhesitatingly
adverb
Advanced or less common
hesitancy
noun
Expressões
he who hesitates is lost
1/hˈi hˈu hˈɛzɪtˌeɪts ˈɪz lˈɔst/
idiom
Delaying can cause missed chances
If you wait too long to decide, you may miss your chance.
Exemplos
- Remember, he who hesitates is lost—take the opportunity now.
- She learned the hard way that he who hesitates is lost.
hesitate to ask
1/hˈɛzɪtˌeɪt tə ˈæsk/
fixed phrase
Be unwilling to ask for something
To feel unsure or shy about asking for something.
Exemplos
- Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything.
- He hesitated to ask for directions because he thought he knew the way.
without hesitation
1/wɪðˈaʊt hˌɛzɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Immediately and confidently
To do something right away and with confidence, without stopping to think or doubt.
Exemplos
- She accepted the job offer without hesitation.
- Without hesitation, he jumped into the water to save the child.
without hesitation
2/wɪðˈaʊt hˌɛzɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Do something immediately and confidently
To do something right away without stopping to think or doubt.
Exemplos
- She accepted the offer without hesitation.
- He jumped into the water without hesitation.