Hesitated vs Hesitating - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between hesitated and hesitating

is that hesitated is past tense of hesitate while hesitating is present participle of lang=en.

hesitation.

(head)

(hesitate)

* (archaic)

(hesitat)

To stop or pause respecting decision or action; to be in suspense or uncertainty as to a determination.

He hesitated''' whether to accept the offer or not; men often '''hesitate in forming a judgment.

(Alexander Pope)

To stammer; to falter in speaking.

(transitive, poetic, rare) To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.

Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.

* This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

* deliberate * demur * doubt * falter * mammer * scruple * stammer * waver

* hesitant * hesitation

* * *

* (archaic)

(head)

(en noun)

hesitation

* (Charles Dickens)

Miss Martin, after sundry hesitatings and coughings, with a preparatory choke or two,