Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Hesitate has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.
"She hesitated before answering, unsure if her opinion would be welcomed by the group."
In plain English: To hesitate means to pause briefly before doing something because you are unsure or afraid of what might happen next.
"She did not hesitate to tell him the truth immediately."
Usage: Use hesitate when you want to describe pausing due to doubt, fear, or reluctance before taking an action. It is often confused with "hesitate" meaning the same thing, but never use it interchangeably with synonyms like "refuse," which implies a final decision rather than uncertainty.
The word "hesitate" comes from the Latin verb haesitāre, which originally meant to stick fast or hang on tightly before evolving into its modern sense of pausing in action. It entered Middle English as a replacement for the native Old English term wandian.