delay vs hesitate

delay is a noun but hesitate is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
delay	Yes	No	Yes	No
hesitate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, hesitate is a hyponym of delay; that is, hesitate is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than delay:

delay (noun)	hesitate (noun)
the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
time during which some action is awaited

delay (verb)	hesitate (verb)
cause to be slowed down or delayed	pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
stop or halt	interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
slow the growth or development of
act later than planned, scheduled, or required