踌躇

chóu chú

HSK 2.0 Level 6 Rare

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Definitions

1. to hesitate

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 果断 guǒ duàn 果断 guǒ duàn firm 果断 means 'decisive', the opposite of hesitating.: firm

Related words

1 item

• 徘徊 pái huái 徘徊 pái huái 徘徊 means 'to pace back and forth', often due to indecision.: 徘徊 means 'to pace back and forth', often due to indecision.

Synonyms

1 item

• 犹豫 yóu yù 犹豫 yóu yù to hesitate Both can mean 'hesitate', but 犹豫 is more common in spoken Chinese, while 踌躇 is more literary.: to hesitate

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Don't use 踌躇 in casual conversation; it sounds overly formal and stilted.

Formality

踌躇 is a literary word; use 犹豫 in everyday speech.

Example Sentences

1 shown

他在门前 踌躇 ，不敢进去。

He hesitated at the door, not daring to enter.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 踌躇

• 踌躇不前 踌躇不前 chóu chú bù qián: to hesitate to move forward
• 踌躇不决 踌躇不决 chóu chú bù jué: to hesitate
• 踌躇满志 踌躇满志 chóu chú mǎn zhì: enormously proud of one's success (idiom); smug

Child Words of 踌躇

• 躇 躇 chú: to hesitate
• 踌 踌 chóu: to pace back and forth