falter
Americanverb (used without object)
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to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.; give way.
Her courage did not falter at the prospect of hardship.
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to speak hesitatingly or brokenly.
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to move unsteadily; stumble.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the act of faltering; an unsteadiness of gait, voice, action, etc.
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a faltering sound.
verb
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(intr) to be hesitant, weak, or unsure; waver
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(intr) to move unsteadily or hesitantly; stumble
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to utter haltingly or hesitantly; stammer
noun
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uncertainty or hesitancy in speech or action
-
a quavering or irregular sound
Other Word Forms
- falterer noun
- falteringly adverb
- nonfaltering adjective
- nonfalteringly adverb
- unfaltering adjective
- unfalteringly adverb
Etymology
Origin of falter
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English falteren, of obscure origin; perhaps akin to Old Norse faltrast “to bother with, be troubled with”
Explanation
Falter means to hesitate, stumble, or waver, and everything from faith to voices can do it. So if you want to keep your bride or groom happy, it's best not to falter when it's your turn to say "I do." Experts may falter if you ask them where falter came from, because the origins are pretty unclear. But everyone agrees on the current meaning: someone who falters is unsteady, wobbly, or unsure. You might falter while reciting a poem if you forget some of the lines, or falter crossing a rickety rope bridge when fear gets the most of you. But you certainly won't falter when someone asks you the meaning of this word.
Vocabulary lists containing falter
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That balance, she argues, is where many returning shows falter.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
But Michigan fans knew all too well how a thrown-together superteam could falter at the finish line.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
That can help the company grow even as EV sales falter in the new year.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
See also: Software stocks bounce as Nvidia shares falter.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
How strange that an article on wood pigeons could so recall the past and make me falter as I read aloud.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
