falter
Americanverb (used without object)
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falters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
faltered,
past participle, past
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faltering
present participle
-
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)
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falters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
faltered,
past participle, past
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faltering
present participle
noun
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the act of faltering; an unsteadiness of gait, voice, action, etc.
-
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
Derived Forms
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falterernoun
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nonfalteringadjective
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unfalteringadjective
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falteringlyadverb
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nonfalteringlyadverb
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unfalteringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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faltersimple
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falterssimple
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have falteredperfect
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has falteredperfect
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am falteringprogressive
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are falteringprogressive
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is falteringprogressive
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have been falteringperfect progressive
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has been falteringperfect progressive
Past
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falteredsimple
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had falteredperfect
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was falteringprogressive
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were falteringprogressive
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had been falteringperfect progressive
Future
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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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
But by following year, the nonprofit’s finances had begun to falter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Airports close because ash interferes with aircraft and other transport networks falter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
As those around him began to falter, the world number one, who started the day three strokes adrift of overnight leader Viktor Hovland, produced a typically metronomic performance with the winning cheque in sight.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
It started to falter under the new "three red lines" -- caps for three different debt ratios -- which forced the group to offload properties at increasingly steep discounts.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
BBC Eye Investigations has spent time with Raseel across the summer, as the ceasefire falters and bombardment continues, to see the challenges doctors are facing in Gaza.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
And while his impartiality occasionally and inevitably falters, the missteps show how difficult, and ultimately useless, it is to ignore humanity’s wide-ranging gray areas to make a beeline for black or white.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
And how vulnerable will the global economy be if this critical engine of demand falters?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Even when “Stop! That! Train!” falters and the steel of the train tracks starts to shake things too severely, the film is put back on its course by its sheer joy.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
When I lean away, she falters, stumbling backward, like I’ve pulled the very earth out from under her.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
They inexplicably faltered, leaving the door open for somebody else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
With 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 75% of his passes this season, Orange High’s junior quarterback has rarely faltered when dropping back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Businesses have shuttered, hospitals have had to turn to generators that have occasionally faltered, and residents have been scrambling to charge phones and refrigerate food.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
As pensions became scarce, Americans were forced to save for their own retirements — and many faltered.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
He had done juggling drills with her before, but those had always been with palm-sized beanbags that he could catch if he faltered.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
“An abyss opened in our country,” Machado said, describing a surge of public anger at the faltering government response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Even record-breaking monthly revenue from the world’s biggest chip manufacturer isn’t reviving the faltering AI trade.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
The weakness contrasts with manufacturing activity in Canada, which saw a boost in July from stronger domestic activity that more than made up for faltering international demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
She was second after two of the four disciplines before she had a terrible beam routine, which included a faltering start and falling off halfway.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
He helped Yvaine to her feet and, awkwardly, the two of them took several faltering steps on the cloud.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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.
