flutter

American  

[fluht-er] / ˈflʌt ər /

verb (used without object)

• flutters,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fluttered,
  past participle,  past
• fluttering
  present participle

1. to wave, flap, or toss about.

   Banners fluttered in the breeze.

2. to flap the wings rapidly; fly with flapping movements.

3. to move in quick, irregular motions; vibrate.

4. to beat rapidly, as the heart.

5. to be tremulous or agitated.

6. to go with irregular motions or aimless course.

   to flutter back and forth.

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verb (used with object)

• flutters,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fluttered,
  past participle,  past
• fluttering
  present participle

1. to cause to flutter; vibrate; agitate.

2. to throw into nervous or tremulous excitement; cause mental agitation; confuse.

noun

• flutters
  plural

1. a fluttering movement.

   He made little nervous flutters with his hands.

2. a state of nervous excitement or mental agitation.

   a flutter of anticipation.

   Synonyms:

   dither, stir, twitter, flurry

3. flutter kick.

4. Audio. a variation in pitch resulting from rapid fluctuations in the speed of a recording.

5. Chiefly British. a small wager or speculative investment.

flutter British  

/ ˈflʌtə /

verb

1. to wave or cause to wave rapidly; flap

2. (intr) (of birds, butterflies, etc) to flap the wings

3. (intr) to move, esp downwards, with an irregular motion

4. (intr) pathol (of the auricles of the heart) to beat abnormally rapidly, esp in a regular rhythm

5. to be or make nervous or restless

6. (intr) to move about restlessly

7. swimming to cause (the legs) to move up and down in a flutter kick or (of the legs) to move in this way

8. informal (tr) to wager or gamble (a small amount of money)

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noun

1. a quick flapping or vibrating motion

2. a state of nervous excitement or confusion

3. excited interest; sensation; stir

4. informal a modest bet or wager

5. pathol an abnormally rapid beating of the auricles of the heart (200 to 400 beats per minute), esp in a regular rhythm, sometimes resulting in heart block

6. electronics a slow variation in pitch in a sound-reproducing system, similar to wow but occurring at higher frequencies

7. a potentially dangerous oscillation of an aircraft, or part of an aircraft, caused by the interaction of aerodynamic forces, structural elastic reactions, and inertia

8. swimming See flutter kick

9. Also called: flutter tonguing.  music a method of sounding a wind instrument, esp the flute, with a rolling movement of the tongue

Usage

What does flutter mean? To flutter is to wave, flap, or toss, usually in reference to wings. The baby robin fluttered its wings as it prepared to fly from the nest for the first time. To flutter is to move in a quick, irregular motion or to vibrate, as when a flag flutters in a small breeze. Often, the difference between flapping and fluttering is that fluttering wings move in an irregular pattern or so fast that you cannot distinguish individual flaps. A flutter is the movement of fluttering, as in The flutter of a hummingbird’s wings is so fast that it creates a buzzing sound. A flutter is also a figurative term that describes a moment of nervousness, such as you might feel before a big exam. Some people describe it as feeling like butterflies fluttering in their stomach. A fluttering stomach is a nervous one, perhaps feeling slightly queasy. Other people describe such a feeling as a fluttering heart, particularly when they feel nervous about someone they have romantic feelings for. This, too, is figurative. In medicine, flutter is used literally to describe an irregular heartbeat, often in the term atrial flutter, which can cause irregular blood flow and different issues in the body. If your heart flutters and it’s not temporary nervousness, you should tell your doctor. Example: I always get a little flutter the night before a performance.

Synonym Usage

See fly ².

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• flutterer
  noun
• unfluttered
  adjective
• unfluttering
  adjective
• flutteringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flutters
  plural

Participles

• fluttering
  present
• fluttered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flutter
  simple
• flutters
  simple
• have fluttered
  perfect
• has fluttered
  perfect
• am fluttering
  progressive
• are fluttering
  progressive
• is fluttering
  progressive
• have been fluttering
  perfect progressive
• has been fluttering
  perfect progressive

Past

• fluttered
  simple
• had fluttered
  perfect
• was fluttering
  progressive
• were fluttering
  progressive
• had been fluttering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flutter
  simple
• will have fluttered
  perfect
• will be fluttering
  progressive
• will have been fluttering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flutter

First recorded before 1000; Middle English floteren, Old English floterian, frequentative of flotian “to float ”

Explanation

Flutter means to move back and forth rapidly. Flags flutter in the wind. Leaves flutter to the ground. Flutter also exists as a noun—you might feel a flutter in your heart when you're excited. To remember flutter, think of the children's rhyme, "See the butterfly flutter by." Flutter is often paired with "flit," to describe the way that birds and insects fly––they flit and flutter. It can also be used to describe indecision—someone who can't make up their mind might flutter between two choices.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flutter flutters fluttered fluttering

A Wall Street Journal report last week that model developer OpenAI has failed to meet internal targets sent only a brief flutter through AI-related stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

In the capital Hanoi, patriotic red-and-yellow banners flutter from lampposts and traffic lights, extolling the "national festival" where people "eagerly cast ballots".

From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026

That’s the scenario posed by a new piece of commentary doing the rounds over the weekend, which has caused quite a flutter online.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

This summer I visited the city where I always feel the flutter of familiarity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2025

Yet, as he dropped into slumber, he recalled Adaon’s dream and felt a shadow like the flutter of a dark wing.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

An American flag flutters above the red brick building, while merchants cluster and converse outside its entrance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

A mud-stained Venezuelan flag, tied to a pole, flutters in the Caribbean breeze.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

Investors might want to listen to any flutters in their stomachs ahead of today’s Federal Reserve decision on interest rates.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2025

Blue and white ribbons and streamers have been stretched high across the streets of the shopping district and, in the old port, bunting flutters from the boats bobbing in the Mediterranean.

From BBC ● May 23, 2025

When she pulls the door open, a moth flutters out, its white wings carrying it toward her face.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Before Allbirds fluttered into NewBirdAI, I asked Cooper to look at whether companies announcing a pivot to AI have been getting a stock boost.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

Blue-and-white Israeli flags fluttered in the wind, as mourners held the young lieutenant's portrait alongside a homemade banner reading: "We will remember forever."

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

The album covers fluttered like the display on a slot machine.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2025

They met the moment, and any butterflies they might have had fluttered away when seasoned quarterback Matthew Stafford completed his first 10 passes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2025

I tried to gently shake her off, but she only fluttered her wings and continued her search.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

"With atypical absences that last longer, people may have automatic movements like fidgeting with their hands, eyelid fluttering and lip smacking. Some people may fall."

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

“If I’m giving a gift … I just think there’s something more personal for them opening a card and having that piece of paper come fluttering out,” Bell said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

Each time the Storm drove down the court, there was Johnson, her ponytail fluttering as she skirted around the arc before driving into the paint, nonchalantly tossing up layups as if it was still shootaround.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Geishas, known as geikos in Kyoto, and apprentices called maikos have been donning elaborate costumes and fluttering fans since the Miyako Odori -- or "capital city dance" -- first started in 1872.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

Sadie/Penny, and Marigold are clucking, their tiny wings fluttering as they step lively in the coop.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

• drift
• flicker
• flit
• flop
• hover
• quiver
• shiver
• throb
• tremble
• vibrate
• wiggle
• wobble