faltering

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈfɔltɜrɪŋ/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Losing strength, momentum, or confidence; wavering or becoming unsteady.; Hesitant or unsteady in speech, movement, or action; stumbling.
  2. noun
    The act of hesitating, wavering, or losing steadiness.
  3. verb
    Present participle of falter; to hesitate or waver in action, speech, or purpose.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: falters 3rd sing.: falters Past: faltered Past part.: faltered Pres part.: faltering

Collocations

faltering voicefaltering stepsfaltering economywithout falteringfaltering confidencefaltering start

Derivatives

falteringly

Synonyms

hesitatewaverstumblevacillatestammerwobble

Antonyms

perseverepersist

Commonly confused

stammer
EN: 'Stammer' refers specifically to a speech impediment or halting speech; 'falter' is broader, covering physical unsteadiness, hesitation, or loss of strength.
waver
EN: 'Waver' emphasizes indecision or fluctuation between choices; 'falter' emphasizes loss of momentum, strength, or confidence.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'falter' with 'filter'; note the 'al' in the first syllable. The word is sometimes misspelled as 'fauter' by omitting the 'l'.

💬 Examples

  1. The company's faltering stock price worried its investors.

  2. She gave a faltering apology, clearly unsure of what to say.

  3. There was a slight faltering in his voice as he delivered the bad news.

  4. The old man was faltering along the path, leaning heavily on his cane.