as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
after a moment of anguished irresolution, I raised my rifle and fired at the charging animal
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Recent Examples of irresolution
In those heady decades of postmodern language-play and seductive irresolution, claims for literature as a force for truth and justice would likely be dismissed, with a smirk, as humanist pieties.
—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
The Oslo musician’s debut album is a darkly glamorous blur of trip-hop and dance pop, with copious reverb and Auto-Tune as stand-ins for yearning, uneasiness, and irresolution.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
22 Jan. 2026
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
The Oslo musician’s debut album is a darkly glamorous blur of trip-hop and dance pop, with copious reverb and Auto-Tune as stand-ins for yearning, uneasiness, and irresolution.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irresolution
Noun
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Some rabbinic readings attribute Lot’s hesitation to leave Sodom to his immoral greed and inordinate wealth.
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Her hesitation isn’t about her affection for Tewkesbury but out of fear of losing her identity.
Noun
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Sidewalk safety, a tale of two cities There is no such hesitancy with cities collecting roadway data.
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The Iranian regime’s apparent hesitancy to resume in-person talks is a significant step back from the high-level talks that took place in Switzerland earlier this month following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the countries.
Noun
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Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.
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That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.
Noun
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The stock has eased slightly since then to around $171, a normal pause after such a steep run, and the level to watch is whether that old $130 breakout zone holds if the pullback extends.
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Packages flow directly from dock doors into scanning, identification and stacking—with no pauses, no handoffs and no redesigns.
Cite this Entry
“Irresolution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolution. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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