sputter

American  

[spuht-er] / ˈspʌt ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to make explosive popping or sizzling sounds.

2. to emit particles, sparks, etc., forcibly or explosively, especially accompanied by sputtering sounds.

3. to eject particles of saliva, food, etc., from the mouth in a light spray, as when speaking angrily or excitedly.

4. to utter or spit out words or sounds explosively or incoherently, as when angry or flustered.

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verb (used with object)

1. to emit (anything) forcibly and in small particles, as if by spitting.

   The fire sputtered cinders.

2. to eject (saliva, food, etc.) in small particles explosively and involuntarily, as in excitement.

3. to utter explosively and incoherently.

noun

1. the act or sound of sputtering.

2. explosive, incoherent utterance.

3. matter ejected in sputtering.

sputter British  

/ ˈspʌtə /

verb

1. another word for splutter splutter splutter

2. physics

   1. to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which atoms of a solid are removed from its surface by the impact of high-energy ions, as in a discharge tube

   2. to coat (a film of a metal) onto (a solid surface) by using this process

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noun

1. the process or noise of sputtering

2. incoherent stammering speech

3. something that is ejected while sputtering

Other Word Forms

• sputterer noun
• sputteringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of sputter

1590–1600; sput- (variant of spout ) + -er ⁶; cognate with Dutch sputteren

Explanation

When someone (or something) makes a soft, fast popping sound, they sputter. If you expect to win first prize in a poetry contest but don't, you might sputter, "But...but..." When you sputter, you're often angry, surprised, or otherwise at a loss for words. You may sputter incoherent sounds, or short syllables. When you start up your dirt bike, its engine sputters too, with muted exploding sounds. This word is also a noun: "The sputter from out on the lake told me he got the old motorboat going." In physics, to sputter is to send high-energy particles onto a material, dislodging tiny particles from its surface.

Example Sentences

If an oil shock persisted long enough, economic growth could also sputter.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

And when they do, the room will sputter, “Wait, how did this not get a single Oscar nomination?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

But over the course of this season’s playoff quarterfinals, these historic superpowers saw their high-octane offenses reduced to a sputter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

An added benefit: so-called “old-economy” U.S. stocks, including industrials, commodity producers, and financials, could offer refuge if enthusiasm for artificial-intelligence-related stocks begins to sputter.

From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026

The crowd “ooohs” and “ahhs” appropriately, but a few in the front gasp in surprise when the massive sign above the gates begins to sputter and spark.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• falter
• stammer
• stutter