Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness:
— Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures.

synoniemen: waffle, waver.

Roget 475: be uncertain etc. adj.; wonder whether.    lose the clue, lose the clew, scent; miss one's way.    not know what to make of etc. (unintelligibility) 519, not know which way to turn, not know whether one stands on one s head or one's not know whether one stands on one s head or one's heels; float in a sea of doubt, hesitate, flounder; lose oneself, lose one's head; muddle one's brains.    render uncertain etc. adj.; put out, pose, puzzle, perplex, embarrass; confuse, confound; bewilder, bother, molder, addle the wits, throw off the scent, ambiguas in vulgus spargere voces [Lat.]; keep in suspense.    doubt etc. (disbelieve) 485; hang in the balance, tremble in the balance; depend.    ... meer laten zien

Roget 583: stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, hammer; balbutiate^†, balbucinate^†, haw, hum and haw, be unable to put two words together.    mumble, mutter; maud^†, mauder^†; whisper etc. 405; mince, lisp; jabber, gibber; sputter, splutter; muffle, mump^†; drawl, mouth; croak; speak thick, speak through the nose; snuffle, clip one's words; murder the language, murder the King's English, murder the Queen's English; mispronounce, missay^†.    ... meer laten zien

Roget 603: be unwilling etc. adj.; nill; dislike etc. 867; grudge, begrudge; not be able to find it in one's heart to, not have the stomach to.    demur, stick at, scruple, stickle; hang fire, run rusty; recoil, shrink, swerve; hesitate etc. 605; avoid etc. 623.    oppose etc. 708; dissent etc. 489; refuse etc. 764.    ... meer laten zien

Roget 860: fear, stand in awe of; be afraid etc. adj.; have qualms etc. n.; apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance; distrust etc. (disbelieve) 485.    hesitate etc. (be irresolute) 605; falter, funk, cower, crouch; skulk etc. (cowardice) 862; let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would'" [Macbeth] take fright, take alarm; start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink; fly etc. (avoid) 623.    tremble, shake; shiver, shiver in one's shoes; shudder, flutter; shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over; quake, quaver, quiver, quail.    grow pale, turn pale; blench, stand aghast; not dare to say one's soul is one's own.    inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe; raise apprehensions^†; be in a daze, bulldoze [U.S.]; faze, feeze [U.S.]; give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm; alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay; fright, frighten, terrify; astound; fright from one's propriety; fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses; awe; strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror; harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify; pile on the agony.    make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter; take away one's breath, stop one's breath; make one tremble &c.; haunt; prey on the mind, weigh on the mind.    put in fear, put in bodily fear; terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage; browbeat, bully; threaten etc. 909.    ... meer laten zien

Nederlands: aarzelen, dralen, schromen, talmen, treuzelen, twijfelen, weifelen

Interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing.

synoniem: pause.

Roget 485: disbelieve, discredit; not believe etc. 484; misbelieve^†; refuse to admit etc. (dissent) 489; refuse to believe etc. (incredulity) 487.    doubt; be doubtful etc. (uncertain) 475; doubt the truth of; be skeptical as to etc. adj.; diffide^†; distrust, mistrust; suspect, smoke, scent, smell a rat; have doubts, harbor doubts, entertain doubts, suspicions; have one's doubts.    demure, stick at, pause, hesitate, scruple; stop to consider, waver.    hang in suspense, hang in doubt.    throw doubt upon, raise a question; bring in, call in question; question, challenge, dispute; deny etc. 536; cavil; cause a doubt, raise a doubt, start a doubt, suggest a doubt, awake a doubt, make suspicion; ergotize^†.    startle, stagger; shake one's faith, shake one's belief, stagger one's faith, stagger one's belief.    ... meer laten zien

Roget 605: be irresolute etc. adj.; hang in suspense, keep in suspense; leave "ad referendum"; think twice about, pause; dawdle etc. (inactivity) 683; remain neuter; dillydally, hesitate, boggle, hover, dacker^†, hum and haw, demur, not know one's own mind; debate, balance; dally with, coquet with; will and will not, chaser-balancer^†; go halfway, compromise, make a compromise; be thrown off one's balance, stagger like a drunken man; be afraid etc. 860; let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would'" [Macbeth]; falter, waver vacillate etc. 149; change etc. 140; retract etc. 607; fluctuate; pendulate^†; alternate etc. (oscillate) 314; keep off and on, play fast and loose; blow hot and cold etc. (caprice) 608.    shuffle, palter, blink; trim.    ... meer laten zien

Roget 70: be discontinuous etc. adj.; alternate, intermit, sputter, stop and start, hesitate.    discontinue, pause, interrupt; intervene; break, break in upon, break off; interpose etc. 228; break the thread, snap the thread; disconnect etc. (disjoin) 44; dissever.    ... meer laten zien

Nederlands: pauzeren