What does hesitation mean?
Word: Hesitation
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Hesitation means a moment of holding back before you say or do something, because you are unsure or nervous.
Synonyms: delay, reluctance
Antonyms: certainty, readiness
How do you spell hesitation?
Syllables: hes - i - ta - tion
Tricky part: The 'shun' sound at the end is spelt tion, not sion, so hesitasion is a common mistake.
Watch out for: hesitasion, hesitashun, hesitaion
Memory tip: Nouns that grow from an -ate verb end in -ation, as create gives creation and educate gives education.
Hesitation in a sentence
Example 1: Without hesitation, Kavya offered her seat to the elderly man on the bus.
Example 2: There was a long hesitation before anyone answered the teacher's question.
Example 3: Please call me without any hesitation if you need help.
Fun Fact
The verb behind it comes from a Latin word meaning to stick fast, so a hesitating speaker is stuck for a moment.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word hesitation as used in the sentence:
After a moment's hesitation, Rohan raised his hand and admitted that he had not done the homework.
a) haste
b) pause
c) apology
d) courage
Show answer
b) pause. Rohan waited a moment before speaking, so his hesitation was a pause; haste means the opposite.
Word Cookie
Choose the correct letters to fill in the blanks:
h_s_tation
a) e, i
b) a, i
c) e, e
d) i, a
Show answer
a) e, i. The word begins hes, and the i after it is short, as in hesitate.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. invitation 2. seperate 3. hesitation 4. medicine
a) to divide or keep apart
b) a moment of holding back before acting
c) a substance taken to treat an illness
d) a request to come to an event
Show answer
a) to divide or keep apart. Separate has an a after the p (sep-a-rate); the other three are correct.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
She answered every quiz question without any tsoeianith, and her team won easily.
a) hesitation
b) situation
c) sanitation
d) meditation
Show answer
a) hesitation. Only hesitation contains the h that the jumble shows.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. To agree 'without hesitation' is to agree ____.
a) at once
b) after a long time
c) in writing
d) unhappily
Show answer
a) at once
2. At the swimming pool, what shows hesitation before a dive?
a) swimming two lengths without stopping
b) jumping in the moment the whistle goes
c) standing at the edge for a long time
d) cheering loudly for a friend in the pool
Show answer
c) standing at the edge for a long time
