hanging back
Reluctant to advance
Hanging back is staying behind or hesitating to move forward with others.
Someone hangs back from a group out of shyness, reluctance, or caution: The other kids rushed to the pool, but she hung back.
It suggests holding oneself apart rather than fully participating: He hung back during the meeting, letting others take the lead.
- disinclinedAverse to acting
- reluctantUnwilling to act
- averseOpposed or unwilling
- cautiousCareful to avoid risk
- hesitantSlow to act
on the fence · afraid · reserved · keeping distance · withdrawn · reticent · slow · deferring · stalling · dragging feet · shy · foot-dragging · holding off · wavering · diffident · pausing · playing it safe · delaying
- hesitatingpausing, stalling, wavering, faltering, delaying
- nonparticipationnonparticipation, noninvolvement, noninterference, nonintervention, abstention
- idlenessdoing nothing, idling, loafing, lounging, lazing
- inactioninaction, passivity, doing nothing, stillness, immobility
- dawdlingdawdling, dallying, dilly-dallying, lingering, loitering
- Sitting Outbenched, sidelined, on the bench, on the sidelines, sitting idle
hanging backpushing forward
Continuing toward a goal
pushing ahead · advancing · forging ahead · plunging in · pressing on
hanging backjumping in
Entering abruptly or eagerly
diving in · taking the initiative · stepping up · taking the plunge · plunging in
hang, back, hangs, hanged, hung, hanger, hangers, hanging, hangings