splutter
Americanverb (used without object)
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splutters,
present (3rd person singular)
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spluttered,
past participle, past
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spluttering
present participle
-
to talk rapidly and somewhat incoherently, as when confused, excited, or embarrassed.
When pushed for an explanation, he always spluttered.
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to make a sputtering sound, or emit particles of something explosively, as water dropped onto a hot griddle.
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to fly or fall in particles or drops; spatter, as a liquid.
verb (used with object)
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splutters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
spluttered,
past participle, past
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spluttering
present participle
-
to utter hastily and confusedly or incoherently; sputter.
Out of breath, she spluttered a poor excuse for her lateness.
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to spatter (a liquid, small particles, etc.).
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to bespatter (someone or something).
noun
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spluttering utterance or talk; noise or fuss.
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a sputtering or spattering, as of liquid.
verb
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to spit out (saliva, food particles, etc) from the mouth in an explosive manner, as through choking or laughing
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to utter (words) with spitting sounds, as through rage or choking
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Also: sputter. to eject or be ejected in an explosive manner
sparks spluttered from the fire
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(tr) to bespatter (a person) with tiny particles explosively ejected
he spluttered the boy next to him with ink
noun
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the process or noise of spluttering
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spluttering incoherent speech, esp in argument
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anything ejected through spluttering
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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spluttersimple
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splutterssimple
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have splutteredperfect
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has splutteredperfect
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am splutteringprogressive
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are splutteringprogressive
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is splutteringprogressive
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have been splutteringperfect progressive
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has been splutteringperfect progressive
Past
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splutteredsimple
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had splutteredperfect
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was splutteringprogressive
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were splutteringprogressive
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had been splutteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of splutter
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.
See Examples For:
The conveyor belt was ready, the empty bottles were stacked and the machinery was about to splutter into life.
From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2023
Some of those waiting in line stayed behind to splutter indignantly and argue their case, to no avail.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2023
Years of record-low rates have fuelled the tech stock rally but with those rates now rising again the appeal of stratospherically-valued tech stocks gets dimmer for investors, especially if their growth trajectories splutter.
From Reuters ● Feb. 21, 2022
Certainly, it’s true that for those who once motored on, constantly producing cosily banal content every day for content’s sake, the machine has started to splutter.
From The Guardian ● May 2, 2020
I cough and splutter, and I am swallowed by darkness.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
A third splutters in a bathtub covered in dusky handprints.
From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
“Words,” Jeffrey splutters to Khristen, “have enabled us to get no nearer to …” Then he trails off, stunned into silence by the inability of narrative to reckon with the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2021
"Pops? I am only two years older than you," splutters Paterson.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2016
He splutters about, unattached pronouns flying off into the rafters—who is the “they” who got the great deal?
From Time ● Jan. 10, 2016
Dad splutters, swallows, then says, “I see you have a lot of cans out there. How about I give you a ride to the deposit center after school tomorrow?”
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
But while Arsenal have spluttered with two wins from their last seven league games, City are heating up at just the right time.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
Since no one knew who was watching what and when, watercooler chat and even many recap blogs spluttered out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025
While Celtic have spluttered, Rangers have motored since Philippe Clement took charge.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2023
Wyman hoped the local population would take proud ownership of the bee in order to protect it, too, but the conversations tailed off, the momentum spluttered, he says.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2022
Almost at once he woke, and coughed and spluttered.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Perhaps the spluttering German economy and its current thirst for US energy were on Merz's mind.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
City weren't at their best in the second half, but they held on to pile pressure on spluttering Arsenal, who travel to Tottenham for the north London derby on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
But in their first game of 2026 they delivered a spluttering display that left them four points adrift of the Gunners.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
Governments talk about spending more on defence, while most European economies are spluttering.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2025
He was ramping up and down in his cage, coughing, and blowing his nose, and spluttering with rage.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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.
