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.
But even halting direct trade leaves intact Dubai’s Iran-sanctions-evasion network, whose goal is to disguise any trading with Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
On Friday, with a lower-court order about to go into effect halting construction on the controversial project, Chief Justice John G. Roberts decided that the court needed more time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Instead, they expect a prolonged series of halting starts and stops to the conflict, causing flows through the Strait of Hormuz to continuously fluctuate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
An appeals court last week upheld a district court order halting work on the ballroom but put its ruling on hold to allow for the administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
With the Dimblewits gone and Valley’s dad halting his opposition to Amendment S, they would have a short rest from fighting for Spare equality.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
