falter
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fal·ter
(fôl′tər)intr.v. fal·tered, fal·ter·ing, fal·ters
1. To be unsteady in purpose or action, as from loss of courage or confidence; waver: "She never faltered in her resolution to regain her old position" (Louis Auchincloss).
2. To speak hesitatingly; stammer: faltered in reciting the poem.
3.
a. To move unsteadily or haltingly; stumble: The racehorse faltered right after the start.
b. To become weak, ineffective, or unsteady, especially in performance: The economy faltered in the second quarter. His memory began to falter.
n.
1. Unsteadiness in speech or action: finished the project without falter.
2. A faltering sound: answered with a falter in his voice.
[Middle English falteren, to stagger, possibly from Old Norse faltrask, to be puzzled, hesitate.]
fal′ter·er n.
fal′ter·ing·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
falter
(ˈfɔːltə)vb
1. (intr) to be hesitant, weak, or unsure; waver
2. (intr) to move unsteadily or hesitantly; stumble
3. to utter haltingly or hesitantly; stammer
n
4. uncertainty or hesitancy in speech or action
5. a quavering or irregular sound
[C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Icelandic faltrast]
ˈfalterer n
ˈfalteringly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
fal•ter
(ˈfɔl tər)v.i.
1. to hesitate, waver, or fail: courage that never faltered.
2. to speak hesitatingly.
3. to move unsteadily; stumble.
v.t. 4. to utter hesitatingly: to falter an apology.
n. 5. the act of faltering; an unsteadiness of voice, action, etc.
6. a faltering sound.
[1300–50; Middle English]
fal′ter•er, n.
fal′ter•ing•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
falter
Past participle: faltered
Gerund: faltering
| Imperative |
|---|
| falter |
| falter |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  falter - the act of pausing uncertainly; "there was a hesitation in his speech"pause - temporary inactivity |
| Verb | 1. | falter - be unsure or weak; "Their enthusiasm is faltering" |
| 2. | falter - move hesitatingly, as if about to give way move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right" | |
| 3. | falter - walk unsteadily; "The drunk man stumbled about" walk - use one's feet to advance; advance by steps; "Walk, don't run!"; "We walked instead of driving"; "She walks with a slight limp"; "The patient cannot walk yet"; "Walk over to the cabinet" | |
| 4. | falter - speak haltingly; "The speaker faltered when he saw his opponent enter the room" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
falter
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
falter
verb1. To be irresolute in acting or doing:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَتَرَنَّحيَتَلَعْثَم
váhatzajíkat se
haltestammesvigtevakle
akadozva elmond vmitbotladozik
hika; hrasastama
klupčiotinetvirtassvirduliuojantsvirduliuojantissvirduliuoti
grīļotiesminstinātiesstomīties
zajakávať sa
falter
[ˈfɔːltəʳ]A. VI (= waver) [person] → vacilar, titubear; [voice] → entrecortarse, quebrarse; [steps] → vacilar; [courage] → fallar, faltar
without faltering → sin vacilar
without faltering → sin vacilar
B. VT → decir titubeando
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
falter
[ˈfɔːltər] vi (when walking) [person] → chanceler, vaciller; [steps]
His steps faltered → Son pas se fit plus hésitant., Son pas se fit moins assuré.
His steps faltered → Son pas se fit plus hésitant., Son pas se fit moins assuré.
(when speaking) [person, voice] → hésiter
[economy, demand, process] → fléchir
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
falter
[ˈfɔːltəʳ] vi (voice, speaker) → esitare; (interest) → scemare; (engine) → perder colpihis voice faltered with emotion → la sua voce era rotta dall'emozione
his steps faltered → ha vacillato
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
falter
(ˈfoːltə) verb1. to stumble or hesitate. She walked without faltering.
2. to speak with hesitation. Her voice faltered.
ˈfaltering adjectiveˈfalteringly adverb
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.