halting
Americanadjective
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faltering or hesitating, especially in speech.
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faulty or imperfect.
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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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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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.
Zwerner took the stand in Parker’s criminal trial, giving at times halting testimony of her interactions with the student that day.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
“I love you, I adore you. Thank you very much!” singer Kim Nam-joon said in halting Spanish as a cacophony of screams erupted from the crowd.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
A judge granted a temporary restraining order halting construction at the warehouse soon after Maryland filed its lawsuit.
From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026
While Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the agreement back on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the proposal "inappropriate".
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Hazel greeted him and was surprised to be answered in a few words of halting, broken Lapine.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
