hesitate Copy link Outline I. To demur to action1. dŭbĭto, 1 (to be prevented by doubts from doing a thing2. haesĭto, 1 (to be embarrassed3. cunctor, 1 (to delay from lack of energy and resolution)4. ambĭgo, 3 (to do bt what to do; be in a quandary)II. To be at a loss what to say1. haereo, si, sum, 2 (to stick fast2. tĭtŭbo, 1 (lit. to stumble) • hesitate: I. To demur to action: 1. dŭbĭto, 1 (to be prevented by doubts from doing a thing: in this sense, foll. by inf.; excepting when it has a negative with it., when it takes quin and subj.): why do you h. to avail yourself of the opportunity, quid dubitas uti temporis opportunitate? Caes. B. C., 2, 34: Cic.: do not h. to trust, nolite d. quin credatis, Cic. Man. 23, 68: the same constr. may follow a virtual though not formal negative, cf. Cic. Fl. 17, 40, dubitatis (= num dubitatis) quin vindicetis? also absol.: v. to doubt. 2. haesĭto, 1 (to be embarrassed: in Cic. always absol., v. loss, to be at): I h.d long and much what I ought to do, diu multumque haesitavi quid facere deberem, Plin. Ep. 10, 43 (40), 2: foll. by an, Curt. 4, 13, med. 3. cunctor, 1 (to delay from lack of energy and resolution): rarely foll. by inf.: he did not even h. to sell honours to candidates, ne candidatis quidem honores venditare cunctatus est, Suet. Vesp. 17. Usu. absol. Join: quiescere, cunctari, timere., Cic. Sext. 38, 81. 4. ambĭgo, 3 (to do bt what to do; be in a quandary): he h.d what first to attend to, cui rei primum occurreret ambigebat, Just. 29, 4, fin. II. To be at a loss what to say: 1. haereo, si, sum, 2 (to stick fast: a stronger expr. than the Eng.): to stumble and h., titubare atque h., Quint. 12, 1, 29. Simly., haesĭto, 1 (frequent. of preced.): I will answer without h.ing, non haesitans respondebo, Cic. Ac. 1, 2, init. 2. tĭtŭbo, 1 (lit. to stumble): Cic.: v. to falter.