verb

1. 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.”

2. To stammer; to falter in speaking.

3. To utter with hesitation or to intimate by a reluctant manner.

Synonyms: balbucinate, balbutiate, falter, haw, hem, stammer, stutter, demur