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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Much Ado About Nothing
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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.
Despite last year's progress, global forest loss remains 70 percent above the level required to meet the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest loss, the researchers said.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
This week's rulings came after the appeals court ordered the judge to reconsider the national security implications of halting the work after he temporarily blocked all construction of the ballroom in March.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Navy has successfully conducted other various blockades in the past, including halting shipments of Iranian weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, a former Centcom commander.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
She calls her accent “a war crime,” and grows frustrated in class that she can’t easily explain what she’s thinking and feeling in her halting English.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
They climbed up one floor, stopped and listened, climbed the next; and the sound of the man’s voice was now mixed with that of halting, rhythmic footsteps.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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.
