hesitate

hesitate — verb

1. to slow down or stop briefly when you are about to say or do something, usually

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to slow down or stop briefly when you are about to say or do something, usually because you feel unsure, nervous, or not ready to continue.

例句

When the teacher asked who broke the window, Liam hesitated before raising his hand.

hesitate before + gerund (describing a pause before an action)

Meera hesitated at the door, unsure if she should enter the meeting room.

同義詞
  • pause

    more neutral — simply means stop briefly, without the emotional implication of doubt or nervousness

  • waver

    suggests being unable to decide between two choices, going back and forth

  • falter

    implies losing confidence mid-action or mid-speech, often with a physical sign of uncertainty

  • be uncertain

    more general and descriptive; focuses on the mental state rather than the action of stopping

反義詞
  • act decisively

    to take action without any pause or doubt

  • forge ahead

    to continue moving forward confidently, without letting doubt slow you down

文法句型

hesitate + to-infinitive

hesitate + about/over + noun/gerund

hesitate + before + gerund

用法筆記

Most common in the pattern hesitate + to-infinitive (e.g., 'hesitated to answer'). When a preposition is needed, use about or over before a noun or gerund ('hesitated about joining'). Also common with before + gerund to describe a pause mid-action.

常見錯誤

❌She hesitated to went inside.
✅She hesitated to go inside.
💡After hesitate + to, always use the base form of the verb, not the past tense.
❌I didn't hesitate from telling him the news.
✅I didn't hesitate to tell him the news.
💡Hesitate takes to + infinitive, not from + gerund.
❌He hesitated and then answered.
✅He hesitated before answering.
💡When describing a pause caused by doubt, use before + gerund rather than and then, which sounds like a simple sequence.