Showing Results for "sputtering"

See Also:

• present participle of sputter.

sputtering

American  

[spuht-er-ing] / ˈspʌt ər ɪŋ /

noun

1. Engineering, Electronics. a process that uses ions of an inert gas to dislodge atoms from the surface of a crystalline material, the atoms then being electrically deposited to form an extremely thin coating on a glass, metal, plastic, or other surface.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unsputtering
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sputtering

First recorded in 1900–05; sputter + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

China’s economy has been sputtering for a years, with consumers especially reluctant to spend, hurting some of those companies.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

Even though China’s growth momentum is sputtering, it remains unclear if policymakers will jump into action, as the solid economic performance in the first quarter and robust exports have reduced expectations for near-term stimulus measures.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Still, the oil market is sputtering, and prices are high, but not stratospheric — yet, said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research, an energy-market consulting firm.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

But what’s extra notable about the sputtering tech partnerships of the 2020s is how baldly they smack of desperation.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

As mothers appeared on porches one by one throughout the mill village, calling their children’s names, C.P. reluctantly wandered home, dusk descending, the pale yellow lamplights sputtering on in houses as he passed.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson