How to Use hesitant in a Sentence

hesitant

adjective
  • She took a hesitant step back from the door.
  • He seems hesitant about accepting the job.
  • Many of my clients are very hesitant to do this.
    — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Ejae, for her part, was more hesitant.
    — Allison Cho, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Are there still any bourbon drinkers out there who are hesitant about rye whiskey?
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 May 2026
  • Burd was hesitant and felt like throwing up.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
  • But as the hour goes on, even the most hesitant members of the class are won over.
    — Deena Prichep, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Gordy was hesitant to let artists try to send a message with their music.
    — Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Her mom is very hesitant and feels left out of the engagement process.
    — Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Stang was still hesitant, but the two decided to buy it.
    — Steve Bloom, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Burd, who hates pickles, was hesitant to eat it and felt like throwing up.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
  • A lot of people are very hesitant to step forward.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
  • His kids, though hesitant at first, became a large part of the business.
    — Jenna Thompson june 24, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026
  • And companies might be hesitant to rush in — or, rather, rush back in.
    — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
  • On the playoff end, though, bettors seem a bit more hesitant.
    — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • The first episode was filmed in the home, though its owner was hesitant about hosting a film crew.
    — Anna Kodé, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2024
  • Finch is hesitant to believe so.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
  • But one group may be a bit more hesitant than the other after this uproar.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Lawrence wasn't as hesitant about questioning the call though.
    — Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2021
  • Her advice for parents hesitant to step back?
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Each of the young owls was hesitant to leave their small transportation boxes at first.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
  • His fans were not as hesitant to speculate.
    — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 22 May 2026
  • At the time, many artists and labels were still hesitant about embracing the app.
    — Elias Leight, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024
  • A-list talent and directors were hesitant to work with the pair, sources say.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Even more report being hesitant to seek care.
    — Robin Lin Miller, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
  • However, in the past, teams have been hesitant to take running backs very high.
    — Steve Bradshaw, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Most gardeners are hesitant to prune hard enough to get good results.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Yet those colleagues have been hesitant to speak out or vote against the president.
    — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The person on the other end of the line was her father’s friend — his voice was tight and hesitant.
    — Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
  • A student who is mocked, dismissed, or ignored will grow hesitant to share.
    — Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hesitant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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