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ecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination; as, he hesitated whether to accept the offer or not; men often hesitate in forming a judgment. Pope.

To fluctuate between motives which appear of equal force; to waver; to hesitate. He would not balance or err in the determination of his choice. Locke.

To stop or hesitate as if suddenly frightened, or in doubt, or impeded by unforeseen difficulties; to take alarm; to exhibit hesitancy and indecision. We start and boggle at every unusual appearance. Glanvill. Boggling at nothing which serveth their purpose. Barrow.

o be upon the bones of, to attack. [Obs.] -- To make no bones, to make no scruple; not to hesitate. [Low] -- To pick a bone with, to quarrel with, as dogs quarrel over a bone; to settle a disagreement. [Colloq.]

To hesitate. [Poetic & R.] Dryden.

gh the arguments for and against a proposed course of action; to reflect; to consider; to hesitate in deciding; -- sometimes with on, upon, concerning. The woman the deliberation is lost. Addison.

delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair. Upon this rub, the English embassadors thought fit to demur. Hayward.

o waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as to belief respecting anything; to hesitate in belief; to be undecided as to the truth of the negative or the affirmative proposition; to b e undetermined. Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we may lawfully doubt, and suspend our judgment. Hooker. To t…

That is uncertain; that distrusts or hesitates; having doubts. -- Doubt"ing*ly, adv.

suing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth. 1 Kings xviii. 27. Few writers hesitate to use either in what is called a triple alternative; such as, We must either stay where we are, proceed, or recede. Latham.

To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to stammer; as, his tongue falters. With faltering speech and visage incomposed. Milton.

To make a difficult matter of anything; to labor; to hesitate; hence, to force of, to make much account of; to regard. Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear. Shak. I force not of such fooleries. Camden.

w in communicating fire through the vent to the charge; as, the gun hangs fire; hence, to hesitate, to hold back as if in suspense.

To make the sound expressed by the word hem; hence, to hesitate in speaking. "Hem, and stroke thy beard." Shak.

g, or pausing to consider; slowness in deciding; vacillation; also, the manner of one who hesitates.

llusion; to suggest in an indirect manner; as, to hint a suspicion. Just hint a fault and hesitate dislike. Pope.

be slow or reluctant in parting or moving; to be slow in deciding; to be in suspense; to hesitate. Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind. Gray. Perhaps thou linger'st, in deep thoughts detained. Milton.

To hesitate; to mutter doubtfully. [Obs.]

To hesitate; to hold back; to delay. [R.] Why doth the Jew pause Take thy forfeiture. Shak.

erable by the conflict between his tastes and his scruples. Macaulay. To make scruple, to hesitate from conscientious motives; to scruple. Locke.