falter
to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.; give way: Her courage did not falter at the prospect of hardship.
to speak hesitatingly or brokenly.
to move unsteadily; stumble.
to utter hesitatingly or brokenly: to falter an apology.
the act of faltering; an unsteadiness of gait, voice, action, etc.
a faltering sound.
Origin of falter
1Other words from falter
- fal·ter·er, noun
- fal·ter·ing·ly, adverb
- non·fal·ter·ing, adjective
- non·fal·ter·ing·ly, adverb
- un·fal·ter·ing, adjective
- un·fal·ter·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use falter in a sentence
Just ask Darren Sharper what happens if your sporting career suddenly falters.
Jameis Winston Cleared of Rape Like Every Other College Sports Star | Robert Silverman | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen dealing with the Iraq War, he never falters or bludgeons the reader on the head with tired modalities.
On the Hunt For…: Greg Baxter’s “The Apartment” Review | Elliot Ackerman | December 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTGeographic diversification, CEO Ning Yuan tells CNBC, in case the home market falters.
The press reacted with bland headlines such as this one in The New York Times: “Efforts to Renew Weapons Ban Falters on Hill.”
In Between Mass Shootings, the Media Have Been MIA on Guns | Howard Kurtz | December 17, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTAs the economy falters, costs of competition rise and sponsorships dwindle.
Gabby Douglas, Ryan Lochte: Why Families of America’s Olympics Athletes Are Broke | Kevin Fallon | August 7, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
For twenty minutes his hand never falters, then the charcoal drops from his nerveless fingers!
Uncanny Tales | VariousThe web becomes richer, the pattern more intricate and confusing, but the line of fate neither breaks nor falters, to the end.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete | Albert Bigelow Paine"Vane—Mr. Charteris has gone away," Reine falters, miserably.
Guy Kenmore's Wife and The Rose and the Lily | Mrs. Alex McVeigh MillerThe bond was of too sacred a nature to discuss, and here her frankness falters, as it should.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Vol. 13 | Elbert HubbardThe culprit falters excuses, and professes a determination to do better to-morrow.
The Personal History of David Copperfield | Charles Dickens
British Dictionary definitions for falter
/ (ˈfɔːltə) /
(intr) to be hesitant, weak, or unsure; waver
(intr) to move unsteadily or hesitantly; stumble
to utter haltingly or hesitantly; stammer
uncertainty or hesitancy in speech or action
a quavering or irregular sound
Origin of falter
1Derived forms of falter
- falterer, noun
- falteringly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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