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| Main Entry: |
hesitate
 [hez-i-teyt] 
|
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wait; be uncertain |
| Synonyms: | alternate, balance, balk, be irresolute, be reluctant, be unwilling, blow hot and cold, dally, debate, defer, delay, demur, dillydally, dither, doubt, equivocate, falter, flounder, fluctuate, fumble, hang back, hang*, hedge, hem and haw, hold back, hold off, hover, linger, oscillate, pause, ponder, pull back, pussyfoot, scruple, seesaw, shift, shrink, shy away, sit on fence, stammer, stop, straddle, stumble, stutter, swerve, tergiversate, think about, think twice, vacillate, waffle, waver, weigh |
| Antonyms: | attack, carry on, continue, go, go ahead, persevere, resolve |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| 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, stickle, strain, take exception, vacillate, wait and see, waver |
| Notes: | demur is the verb 'to object or voice opposition' while demure is the adjective meaning 'modest, shy' |
| Antonyms: | accept, agree, consent, go along |
| Main Entry: | dilly-dally |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | waste time |
| Synonyms: | dawdle, delay, hem and haw, hesitate, linger, loiter, meander, mosey, move slowly, procrastinate, vacillate |
Example Sentences
- But the government has hesitated to extend the pain to senior bondholders.
- After he had me immobilized, only my feet kicking out wildly, he hesitated for an instant.
- And where it lacks genuine capabilities, it has not hesitated to fake them.
| Main Entry: | doubt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lack confidence in; question |
| Synonyms: | be apprehensive of, be curious, be dubious, be in a quandary, be puzzled, be uncertain, be undetermined, call in question, challenge, demur, disbelieve, discredit, dispute, distrust, fear, fluctuate, give no credence, harbor suspicion, have qualms, hesitate, imagine, impugn, insinuate, misdoubt, misgive, mistrust, not buy, query, read differently, scruple, shilly-shally, skepticize, smell a rat, surmise, suspect, take dim view of, vacillate, waver, wonder at |
| Antonyms: | be certain, believe, not question, rely, trust |
| Main Entry: | falter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stumble, stutter |
| Synonyms: | be undecided, bobble, break, drop the ball, flounder, fluctuate, fluff, halt, hem and haw, hesitate, lurch, quaver, reel, rock, roll, scruple, shake, speak haltingly, stagger, stammer, stub toe, teeter, topple, totter, tremble, trip up, vacillate, waver, whiffle, wobble |
| Antonyms: | continue, endure, maintain, persist, remain, stay |
| Main Entry: | fluctuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | vacillate, change |
| Synonyms: | alter, alternate, be undecided, blow hot and cold, ebb and flow, flutter, go up and down, hem and haw, hesitate, oscillate, rise and fall, seesaw, shift, swing, undulate, vary, veer, vibrate, wave, waver, yo-yo |
| Antonyms: | hold, persist, remain, stay |
| 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
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2012 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2012 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
