hesitate
- v. 犹豫, 迟疑, 踌躇
- Definition
- v. to pause before doing something because you are unsure or nervous
- Example
- Don't hesitate to call me if you need any help moving.
- 如果搬家需要帮忙，尽管给我打电话，不要犹豫。
Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析
Compared meaning: to stop briefly before doing something (verb).
比较义项：做某事前的短暂停顿（动词）。
- hesitate 本词
Implies pausing due to uncertainty, nervousness, or reluctance before acting; often used as 'hesitate to do something', especially in polite offers like 'don't hesitate to ask'.
强调因犹豫、紧张或不情愿而在行动前停顿；常用“hesitate to do something”结构，尤其用于礼貌的提议，如“不要犹豫，尽管问”。
I hesitated to tell her the bad news, afraid it would upset her.
我犹豫着要不要告诉她这个坏消息，担心这会让她难过。
- pause
A neutral, brief stop before continuing an action, with no implication about why; can describe a person or even a machine stopping briefly.
表示动作前中性、短暂的停止，不暗示停顿的原因；可以是人的停顿，也可以是机器的暂停。
The video paused automatically when the connection dropped.
视频在网络连接中断时自动暂停了。
Both words can mean to stop briefly before doing something. Hesitate implies pausing from uncertainty, nervousness, or reluctance, as in 'don't hesitate to ask'. Pause is a neutral, brief stop, and can describe a person or a machine. Pause as a noun is not compared.
这两个词都表示做某事前的短暂停顿，含义相近，但hesitate强调因犹豫、紧张或不确定而迟疑，带有情感色彩；pause只是中性、客观的短暂停止，不涉及原因，也可用于机器或非人主体。这里不比较pause作名词“停顿、暂停键”等用法。