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hesitates - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | hesitate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wait; be uncertain |
| Synonyms: | alternate, balance, balk, blow hot and cold*, dally, debate, defer, delay, demur, dillydally*, dither, doubt, equivocate, falter, flounder, fluctuate, fumble, hang*, hang back, hedge, hem and haw*, hold back, hover, linger, oscillate, pause, ponder, pussyfoot*, scruple, seesaw*, shift, shrink, stammer, stop, straddle, stumble, stutter, swerve, tergiversate, vacillate, waffle*, waver, weigh, be irresolute, be reluctant, be unwilling, hold off, pull back, shy away, sit on fence, think about, think twice |
| Antonyms: | attack, carry on, continue, go, go ahead, persevere, resolve |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | balk |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop short |
| Synonyms: | cramp, crimp, demur, desist, dodge, evade, flinch, hesitate, recoil, refuse, resist, shirk, shy, turn down, shrink from, upset apple cart |
| Main Entry: | demur |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disagree |
| Synonyms: | balk, cavil, challenge, combat, complain, deprecate, disapprove, dispute, doubt, fight, hem and haw*, hesitate, object, oppose, pause, protest, pussyfoot*, refuse, remonstrate, resist, scruple, shy, stick, strain, vacillate, wait and see*, waver, stickle, take exception |
| Notes: | demur is the verb 'to object or voice opposition' while demure is the adjective meaning 'modest, shy' |
| Antonyms: | accept, agree, consent, go along |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | dilly-dally |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | waste time |
| Synonyms: | dawdle, delay, hem and haw*, hesitate, linger, loiter, meander, mosey, procrastinate, vacillate, move slowly |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | doubt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lack confidence in; question |
| Synonyms: | challenge, demur, disbelieve, discredit, dispute, distrust, fear, fluctuate, hesitate, imagine, impugn, insinuate, mistrust, query, scruple, shilly-shally*, surmise, suspect, vacillate, waver, be apprehensive of, be curious, be dubious, be in a quandary, be puzzled, be uncertain, be undetermined, call in question, give no credence, harbor suspicion, have qualms, misdoubt, misgive, not buy, read differently, skepticize, smell a rat, take dim view of, wonder at |
| Antonyms: | believe, rely, trust, be certain, not question |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | falter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stumble, stutter |
| Synonyms: | break, flounder, fluctuate, fluff, halt, hem and haw*, hesitate, lurch, quaver, reel, rock, roll, scruple, shake, stagger, stammer, teeter, topple, totter, tremble, vacillate, waver, wobble, be undecided, bobble, drop the ball, speak haltingly, stub toe, trip up, whiffle |
| Antonyms: | continue, endure, maintain, persist, remain, stay |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | fluctuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | vacillate, change |
| Synonyms: | alter, alternate, blow hot and cold*, flutter, hem and haw*, hesitate, oscillate, seesaw*, shift, swing, undulate, vary, veer, vibrate, wave, waver, be undecided, ebb and flow, go up and down, rise and fall, yo-yo |
| Antonyms: | hold, persist, remain, stay |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | linger |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | loiter, delay |
| Synonyms: | amble, be dilatory, be long, be tardy, crawl, dally, dawdle, dillydally*, drift, falter, fool around*, fritter away, goof off*, hang around*, hang out*, hesitate, hobble, idle, lag, loll, lumber, mope, mosey, plod, poke, procrastinate, put off, putter, remain, saunter, shuffle, sit around, slouch*, stagger, stay, stick around, stop, stroll, take one's time, tarry, tool, totter, trail, traipse, trifle, trudge, vacillate, wait, wait around |
| Antonyms: | go, hurry, leave, rush |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | pause |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wait, delay |
| Synonyms: | break it up, call time, catch one's breath, cease, come to standstill, deliberate, desist, discontinue, drop, halt, hesitate, hold back, interrupt, put on hold, reflect, rest, shake, sideline, stop briefly, suspend, take a break, take a breather, take five, take ten, think twice, waver |
| Antonyms: | continue, persist, restart |
| Main Entry: | procrastinate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | delay, put off doing |
| Synonyms: | adjourn, be dilatory, cool*, dally, dawdle, defer, drag, drag one's feet, give the run around, goldbrick, hang fire, hesitate, hold off, lag*, let slide, linger, loiter, pause, play a waiting game, play for time, poke*, postpone, prolong, protract, retard, shilly-shally*, stall, stay, suspend, tarry, temporize, wait |
| Antonyms: | accelerate, advance, complete, do, finish, go ahead, quicken |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | question |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | doubt |
| Synonyms: | call into question, challenge, controvert, disbelieve, dispute, distrust, hesitate, impeach, impugn, mistrust, oppose, query, suspect, suspicion, cast doubt upon, puzzle over, wonder about |
| Antonyms: | certainty, surety, doubtlessness, sureness |
| Main Entry: | recoil |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | shrink away |
| Synonyms: | backfire, balk, blanch, blink, carom, cringe, demur, dodge, draw back, duck, falter, flinch, hesitate, jerk, kick, quail, quake, react, rebound, reel, shake, shirk, shrink, shudder, spring, start, stick, swerve, tremble, waver, wince, withdraw, blench, pull back, resile, shy away, step back, stickle, turn away |
| Antonyms: | face, meet |
| Main Entry: | retard |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hinder, obstruct |
| Synonyms: | arrest, back off, baffle, balk, bog, bog down, brake, check, choke, clog, crimp, dawdle, decelerate, decrease, defer, delay, detain, down, encumber, falter, fetter, flag, hamper, handicap, hesitate, hold back, hold up, impede, lessen, let up, loaf, loiter, mire, poke, postpone, reduce, set back, shut down, slacken, stall, take down, bring to screeching halt, choke off, close off, hang up, retardate, shut off, slow down, slow up |
| Antonyms: | advance, help, push |
| Main Entry: | scruple |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | balk, have misgivings |
| Synonyms: | boggle, demur, doubt, falter, fret, gag, hesitate, question, shy, stick, stumble, vacillate, waver, worry, be loath, be reluctant, be unwilling, have qualms, stickle, think twice about |
| Antonyms: | not care |
| Main Entry: | stagger |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | walk falteringly |
| Synonyms: | alternate, careen, dither, falter, halt, hesitate, lurch, overlap, pitch, reel, shake, stammer, step, sway, swing, teeter, topple, totter, vacillate, waver, wheel, wobble, zigzag, titubate, whiffle |
| Main Entry: | stammer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stutter in speech |
| Synonyms: | falter, halt, hammer, hem and haw*, hesitate, jabber, lurch, pause, repeat, sputter, stop, stumble, wobble, splutter |
| Antonyms: | enunciate, pronounce |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | stumble |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | slip, stagger |
| Synonyms: | blunder, bumble, careen, err, fall, falter, flounder, hesitate, limp, lumber, lurch, muddle, pitch, reel, shuffle, stammer, swing, tilt, topple, totter, trip, wallow, waver, wobble, fall down, lose balance |
| Main Entry: | stutter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | speak haltingly |
| Synonyms: | dribble, falter, hesitate, sputter, stammer, stumble, splutter |
| Antonyms: | continue |
| Main Entry: | totter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | move falteringly |
| Synonyms: | blunder, careen, dodder, falter, flounder, hesitate, lurch, quake, quiver, reel, rock, roll, seesaw, shake, shimmy, slide, slip, stagger, stammer, stumble, sway, teeter, topple, tremble, trip, waver, weave, wheel, wobble, zigzag, walk unsteadily |
| Main Entry: | vacillate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | go back and forth |
| Synonyms: | alternate, change, dither, fluctuate, hedge, hem and haw*, hesitate, hover, oscillate, pause, reel, rock, seesaw*, shilly-shally*, stagger, straddle, sway, swing, waffle, waver, be indecisive, be irresolute, change mind, fence-straddle, pussyfoot around, run hot and cold, whiffle, yo-yo |
| Antonyms: | remain, stay |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
