hesitate

he who hesitates (is lost)

proverb Those who fail to take quick, decisive action will suffer for it or miss a good opportunity. A: "If only I'd invested in that company when they started up, I'd be a millionaire by now!" B: "Well, he who hesitates is lost." A: "You could have mitigated your losses if you'd dealt with the problem right away, but—" B: "Yeah, yeah, he who hesitates. I know."
See also: he, hesitate, who

hesitate over (something)

To delay or stop taking action regarding a particular thing (named after "over"). Sir, we can't hesitate over this issue—the board needs a decision right away!
See also: hesitate, over

if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask

A phrase used to encourage one to ask for what they need, usually in a new or unfamiliar setting. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask—we want your first week on the job to go as smoothly as possible. Here's an extra blanket. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask.
See also: anything, ask, hesitate, if
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

He who hesitates is lost.

Prov. People should act decisively. Jill: Should I apply for that job? At first I thought I definitely should, but now I don't know.... Jane: She who hesitates is lost. Call that girl and ask her out. Call her right now. He who hesitates is lost.
See also: he, hesitate, lost, who

hesitate over something

to pause before acting on something; to suspend action about someone or something. We are hesitating over the final decision because we have some doubts about the competitors. Do not hesitate too long over this matter.
See also: hesitate, over

If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask.

a polite phrase offering help in finding something or by providing something. (Often said by a host or by someone helping someone settle into something. See also If you don't see what you want, please ask (for it).) Mary: This looks very nice. I'll be quite comfortable here. Jane: If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. "If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," said the room clerk.
See also: anything, ask, hesitate, if
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

he who hesitates is lost

One who cannot come to a decision will suffer for it, as in I couldn't make up my mind, and now the offer has expired-he who hesitates is lost. Although the idea is undoubtedly older, the present wording is a misquotation or an adaptation from Joseph Addison's play Cato (1712): "The woman that deliberates is lost."
See also: he, hesitate, lost, who
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

he who ˈhesitates (is ˈlost)

(saying) if you delay in doing something you may lose a good opportunity: You should have applied for that job. I’m sure you would have got it. Remember, he who hesitates...
See also: he, hesitate, who
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • teach a man to fish
  • it takes a village
  • village
  • bigger they are, the harder they fall
  • bigger they come, the harder they fall, the
  • best-laid plans go astray, the
  • the best-laid plans
  • the best-laid plans go astray
  • the best-laid plans of mice and men
  • for want of a nail
References in periodicals archive
Ironically, it's for the same reasons that a player on the field would hesitate to tackle the ball carrier that's trying to score on them.
Tackling under-performance has to be done head on
She said that in refusing to make changes, retailers and banks could be breaking the law and may face fines of up to pounds 50,000: "We will not hesitate to pursue legal proceedings if we believe companies are in breach of the law," she said.
Disability law warning over PIN
"Our advice to all businesses is: please don't hesitate to support charities but do think twice before parting with money without checking credentials first."
Try to avoid charity scams
This resulted from the switchover from one component to the other, which caused the flow front to hesitate or stop momentarily.
28 Multi-material injection
and--as the Watergate incident has shown--doesn't hesitate to place you under both physical and electronic surveillance.
30 years ago in reason
"I wouldn't hesitate to give it to anyone over 60," says study coauthor Michael N.
Vaccine gains: shot protects seniors from shingles flare-ups
RODDY GRANT last night warned Celtic stars Gordon Strachan won't hesitate to hit them where it hurts.
Football: Don't mess Bhoys
Americans do not hesitate to pass American technology on to Israeli corporations; the latter then improve it in various ways for their own use.
Bush approves settlements once more
Berman has a point, of course, and doesn't hesitate to create a plausible scenario which should scare anyone living on the West Coast.
Mount Doomsday
And he does not hesitate to gore left as well as right, warning, for example, that today's spate of "adequacy lawsuits" (which seek to reshape school finance by having judges force states to spend "adequate" amounts of money on schooling) runs a risk of overpromising.
Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap
When asked what made the Fuchs MHL 380 stand out when the company went shopping for a new scrap handler, Harold does not hesitate to answer, "The big factor was reach."
End of the relay race: the long reach of the Fuchs MHL 380 serves A. Tenenbaum Co. Inc
But others will hesitate. In any event, watching EMC move to a business model based on acting as an open end-to-end storage supplier certainly suggests that the times are a changin.
The times, they are a changin'
Their economic vulnerability--as dancers, as artists, as people of color in a society whose institutions privilege those who are affluent and white--cannot be underestimated, However, this book's value lies in the author's curiosity and enthusiastic determination to go all the way there: Let's talk about what we're really thinking when we watch a performer of another race or what we might say to someone of our own race but hesitate to reveal in public.
The Black Dancing Body: a Geography from Coon to Cool
Don't hesitate to ask your fellow coaches, athletes, and especially the media who cover your team to refrain from using such overly descriptive terms that reflect poorly on the sport and your profession.
Playing football by the rule and the book: (from the AFCA Summer Manual)
If you should have any questions about the submission, please do not hesitate to call Ms.
Elimination of the federal capital tax: June 19, 2003