HESITANCY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does hesitancy mean? 

• HESITANCY (noun)
  The noun HESITANCY has 2 senses:

1. a feeling of diffidence and indecision about doing something

2. a certain degree of unwillingness

  Familiarity information: HESITANCY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HESITANCY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A feeling of diffidence and indecision about doing something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

hesitance; hesitancy

Hypernyms ("hesitancy" is a kind of...):

diffidence; self-distrust; self-doubt (lack of self-confidence)

Derivation:

hesitant (lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A certain degree of unwillingness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

disinclination; hesitancy; hesitation; indisposition; reluctance

Context example:

after some hesitation he agreed

Hypernyms ("hesitancy" is a kind of...):

involuntariness; unwillingness (the trait of being unwilling)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hesitancy"):

sloth; slothfulness (a disinclination to work or exert yourself)

Derivation:

hesitant (lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly)

hesitate (pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness)

 Context examples 

It has since seen a resurgence partly due to vaccine hesitancy and vaccine inaccessibility.

(Samoan government temporarily shuts down for nationwide measles vaccination drive, Wikinews)

So all hesitancy vanished, and the pair descended into the cabin.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He spoke her name without hesitancy, naturally, though secretly surprised that he had had no inward quiver, no old, familiar increase of pulse and warm surge of blood.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I could see that he had something on his mind which he wanted to say, but felt some hesitancy about broaching the subject.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Also, there was an awkward hesitancy, at times, as he essayed the new words he had learned.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)