Doubt vs Hesitate - What's the difference?
doubt | hesitate | Synonyms |
Uncertainty, disbelief.
*
(ambitransitive) To lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect.
* Hooker
* Dryden
(archaic) To fear; to suspect.
* 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , I.186:
(obsolete) To fear; to be apprehensive of.
* R. of Gloucester
* Shakespeare
* Spenser
(obsolete) To fill with fear; to affright.
*
* Beaumont and Fletcher
To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.
To stammer; to falter in speaking.
(transitive, poetic, rare) To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.
*
Hesitate is a synonym of doubt.
As verbs the difference between doubt and hesitate
is that doubt is to lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect while hesitate is to stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.As a noun doubt
is uncertainty, disbelief.doubt
English
Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete)Noun
(wikipedia doubt)- It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts .
Verb
(en verb)- He doubted that was really what you meant.
- Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we may lawfully doubt
- To try your love and make you doubt of mine.
- He fled, like Joseph, leaving it; but there, / I doubt , all likeness ends between the pair.
- Edmond [was a] good man and doubted God.
- I doubt some foul play.
- I of doubted danger had no fear.
- The virtues of the valiant Caratach / More doubt me than all Britain.
Statistics
* English reporting verbshesitate
English
Alternative forms
* (archaic)Verb
(hesitat)- He hesitated''' whether to accept the offer or not; men often '''hesitate in forming a judgment.
- (Alexander Pope)
- Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.
