zögerlich

zögerlich is a German adjective and adverb meaning hesitant or cautious. It describes people, actions, or attitudes characterized by hesitation rather than decisiveness.

Etymology and related terms: The form derives from the verb zögern, “to hesitate.” Related nouns include Zögerung (hesitation) and Zögerlichkeit (hesitancy or hesitation as a trait).

Usage: In everyday language, zögerlich describes someone who hesitates before acting or speaking; it can imply prudence or indecision depending on context. Common collocations include eine zögerliche Haltung (a hesitant attitude), eine zögerliche Entscheidung (a hesitant decision), and eine zögerliche Reaktion (a hesitant reaction). As an adverb, it appears in sentences like Er sprach zögerlich. Context determines whether the nuance is neutral, mildly negative, or describing careful deliberation.

Grammar and inflection: As an attributive adjective before nouns, zögerlich inflects for gender, number, and case (zögerlicher Mann, zögerliche Entscheidung, zögerliches Verhalten). Predicatively, one can say Er ist zögerlich.

Synonyms and antonyms: Related terms include bedächtig, vorsichtig, zurückhaltend. Antonyms include entschlossen, bestimmt, entschieden.

See also: Zögern (the noun “to hesitate”), Zögerlichkeit (hesitancy), Bedächtigkeit. In usage, zögerlich remains a common descriptor for cautious or hesitant behavior in German.