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hesitantly
/ˈhɛzɪtəntli/
in a hesitant or uncertain manner
She hesitantly accepted the invitation.
She accepted the invitation but showed uncertainty or reluctance.
formalinformal
in a way that shows hesitation, uncertainty, or reluctance
He hesitantly raised his hand to ask a question.
He raised his hand but did so with noticeable hesitation.
She hesitantly agreed to the plan.
She agreed but did so with some doubt or uncertainty.
Often used to describe actions or speech that are performed with uncertainty or reluctance.
Collocations
hesitantly agreeto agree with doubt or reluctancehesitantly askto ask a question with uncertaintyhesitantly approachto approach someone or something with caution
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Usage in formal contexts
In formal writing or speech, 'hesitantly' can be used to describe actions or decisions made with caution or uncertainty.
Common collocations
Common collocations include 'hesitantly agree', 'hesitantly ask', and 'hesitantly approach'.
Gold Rule
Avoid overuse
While 'hesitantly' is useful for describing uncertainty, overusing it can make your writing or speech sound overly cautious or indecisive.
Word Origin
Derived from the adjective 'hesitant' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Hesitant' comes from the Latin 'haesitare', meaning 'to hesitate'.
Usage Notes
This adverb is commonly used to describe actions or speech that are performed with doubt, uncertainty, or reluctance. It is often used in formal and informal contexts.
Word Breakdown
hesitant
showing uncertainty or reluctance
root-ly
adverbial suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary