{
    "term": "hesitate",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "hesitate",
            "heSheIt": "hesitates"
        },
        "pastSimple": "hesitated",
        "pastParticiple": "hesitated",
        "ingForm": "hesitating"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to be slow to speak or act because you feel uncertain or nervous",
            "sensetop": "hesitate about/over somethinghesitate about/over doing somethinghesitate about/over whether, how, etc…+ speech",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She hesitated before replying."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He seemed to hesitate a second."
                },
                {
                    "text": "When she hesitated over her order, the waiter gave her an impatient look.",
                    "contextForm": "hesitate about/over something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I didn't hesitate for a moment about taking the job.",
                    "contextForm": "hesitate about/over doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She stood there, hesitating over whether or not to tell him the truth.",
                    "contextForm": "hesitate about/over whether, how, etc…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘I'm not sure,’ she hesitated.",
                    "contextForm": "+ speech"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Something about his smile made her hesitate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I barely hesitated before saying yes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I didn't hesitate about working with Craig."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was hesitating between the noodles and the salad."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["a little", "slightly", "briefly"],
                "verb + hesitate": ["appear to", "seem to", "make somebody"],
                "preposition": ["about", "between", "over"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to be worried about doing something, especially because you are not sure that it is right or appropriate",
            "sensetop": "hesitate to do something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Please **do not hesitate to** contact me if you have any queries."
                },
                {
                    "text": "If you'd like me to send you the book, then please don't hesitate to ask."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She never hesitated to speak her mind."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Doubt, guessing and certainty"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "if you delay in doing something you may lose a good opportunity",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪt/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitate__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪts/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitates__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitated__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitating__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪt/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitate__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪts/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitates__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitated__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈhezɪteɪtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "he/hesitate/hesitating__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "early 17th cent.: from Latin haesitat- ‘stuck fast, left undecided’, from the verb haesitare, from haerere ‘stick, stay’."
}