halting
Americanadjective
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faltering or hesitating, especially in speech.
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faulty or imperfect.
-
limping or lame.
a halting gait.
adjective
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hesitant
halting speech
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lame
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of halting
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at halt 2, -ing 2
Explanation
The adjective halting is used to describe something that is fragmentary or prone to interruptions. If you are overcome with emotion at your wedding, you may choke out your vows in a halting voice. The adjective halting can describe something or someone with limping or disabled legs or feet. If you have sprained your ankle and it's icy out this winter, you will probably walk with a halting gait and walk slowly and carefully. The word halting in this sense comes from the Old English word lemphalt, which means "limping."
Vocabulary lists containing halting
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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.
Zacharia's halting Tuesday press conference performance, combined with those questions about her legal background, essentially sealed her fate.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Shell said it is halting production and evacuating personnel at five of its sites, and has moved non-essential personnel from another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Thousands blocked the procession on September 27, halting the first parade which had been allowed along the route in almost three decades.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Buses will stop in the No. 2 lane, halting traffic behind them, and pick up passengers, instead of easing out of a bus turnout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
We take halting, interrupted steps, not knowing how far back we should go or who should duck into a row first.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
