different between hesitant vs fickle

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin haesitans, present participle of haesitare (“to stick fast, to hesitate”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?z?t?nt/

Adjective

hesitant (comparative more hesitant, superlative most hesitant)

1. Tending to hesitate, wait, or proceed with caution or reservation.

   I am hesitant to recommend him as a manager because he has a short temper.

Related terms

• hesitance
• hesitancy
• hesitate
• hesitation
• hesitative

Translations

Anagrams

• Theatins, staineth

Catalan

Verb

hesitant

1. present participle of hesitar

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?k.?l/
• Rhymes: -?k?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike +? -le. More at fike.

Adjective

fickle (comparative fickler or more fickle, superlative ficklest or most fickle)

1. Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.
2. (figuratively) Changeable.
   • 2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)[1]

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English fikelen, from fikel (“fickle”); see above. Cognate with Low German fikkelen (“to deceive, flatter”), German ficklen, ficheln (“to deceive, flatter”).

Verb

fickle (third-person singular simple present fickles, present participle fickling, simple past and past participle fickled)

1. (transitive) To deceive, flatter.
2. (transitive, Britain dialectal) To puzzle, perplex, nonplus.

Anagrams

• Fickel