falter

American  

[fawl-ter] / ˈfɔl tər /

verb (used without object)

falters, present (3rd person singular) faltered, past participle, past faltering present participle

1. to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.; give way.

   Her courage did not falter at the prospect of hardship.

2. to speak hesitatingly or brokenly.

3. to move unsteadily; stumble.

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verb (used with object)

falters, present (3rd person singular) faltered, past participle, past faltering present participle

1. to utter hesitatingly or brokenly.

   to falter an apology.

noun

1. the act of faltering; an unsteadiness of gait, voice, action, etc.

2. a faltering sound.

falter British  

/ ˈfɔːltə /

verb

1. (intr) to be hesitant, weak, or unsure; waver

2. (intr) to move unsteadily or hesitantly; stumble

3. to utter haltingly or hesitantly; stammer

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noun

1. uncertainty or hesitancy in speech or action

2. a quavering or irregular sound

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• falterer
  noun
• nonfaltering
  adjective
• unfaltering
  adjective
• falteringly
  adverb
• nonfalteringly
  adverb
• unfalteringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• faltering
  present
• faltered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• falter
  simple
• falters
  simple
• have faltered
  perfect
• has faltered
  perfect
• am faltering
  progressive
• are faltering
  progressive
• is faltering
  progressive
• have been faltering
  perfect progressive
• has been faltering
  perfect progressive

Past

• faltered
  simple
• had faltered
  perfect
• was faltering
  progressive
• were faltering
  progressive
• had been faltering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will falter
  simple
• will have faltered
  perfect
• will be faltering
  progressive
• will have been faltering
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

falter falters faltered faltering

I’ll never falter in my beliefs in that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

"British support for Ukraine will not falter," he wrote in the Times in early July.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

However, after taking an early lead, winning the first set 6-4, Pegula began to falter, with Gauff claiming the next two sets 6-3.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

And Bellingham will know he must produce because Tuchel has proved more than willing to play Rogers in the role behind captain Harry Kane should form falter.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

I tried to stand tall and look at him with eyes that could stare down challenges and not falter, but my shoulders shook and my eyes filled with tears.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

Even in the moments it falters, “Backrooms” is like someone coming across the cage we’ve been pacing around in, and pointing out that the bars were always big enough to slip through.

From Salon ● May 30, 2026

The imitation also falters on practical grounds, if only because AI often gets theology wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

As leadership falters and fewer sectors provide support, the selling becomes more indiscriminate.

From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026

But if the labor market falters in a way that raises expectations for weaker economic growth and softer inflation, this could flatten the curve around the time the Fed starts cutting rates.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 6, 2026

While the dialogue occasionally falters, you have to admire daytime dramas for their remarkable attention to plot.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

But that strategy has faltered as sales of its Epic passes have plateaued.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

They got to the final but faltered at the last.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Past efforts to contain economic risks have faltered, as countries including Germany and Spain still saw benefits in recent years from trade and investment ties with Beijing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

The timing also is fortuitous for Walt Disney Co. at a moment when its other once-reliable franchises such as “Star Wars” and Marvel have faltered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

When his eyes got to Wab they grew bigger, and his smile faltered, but he recovered quickly.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Fed governor Christopher Waller worried the job market was faltering when he led the case for last year’s reductions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

But he could not convert that positive position, faltering as he served for the set at 5-3 and eventually coming up short in the tie-break.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

These exhibits and others that present some highlights of America's faltering progress toward a perfect union go on show for two months in Washington next Tuesday ahead of the semiquincentennial.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

Or that most of the houses in the projected blast zone were a Shohei Ohtani homer away from GKN’s faltering tank.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

She grabbed ahold of the horse’s mane and swung one leg over the horse’s neck, faltering only for a moment till Finn steadied her with a hand on her hip.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

Related Words

• flounder
• hesitate
• reel
• waver
• wobble