falter

1 of 2

verb

fal·​ter ˈfȯl-tər 

faltered; faltering ˈfȯl-t(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to walk unsteadily : stumble

the … stranger falters out of the thicket and drops to his knees

—Dudley Fitts

b

: to give way : totter

could feel my legs faltering

c

: to move waveringly or hesitatingly

forced to bail out of faltering airplanes over the Alps

—Nat'l Geographic

2

: to speak brokenly or weakly : stammer

her voice faltered

3

a

: to hesitate in purpose or action : waver

he never faltered in his determination

b

: to lose drive or effectiveness

the business was faltering

transitive verb

: to utter hesitatingly or brokenly

faltered an excuse

falterer

ˈfȯl-tər-ər 

noun

falteringly

ˈfȯl-t(ə-)riŋ-lē 

adverb

falter

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of faltering

Synonyms

Verb

• balance
• dither
• halt
• hang back
• hesitate
• scruple
• shilly-shally
• stagger
• teeter
• vacillate
• waver
• wobble
• wabble

Choose the Right Synonym for falter

hesitate, waver, vacillate, falter mean to show irresolution or uncertainty.

hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing.

hesitated before answering the question

waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat.

wavered in his support of the rebels

vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision.

vacillated until events were out of control

falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear.

never once faltered during her testimony

Examples of falter in a Sentence

Verb

The business was faltering due to poor management.

Their initial optimism has faltered.

signs that the economy is faltering

Her steps began to falter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Despite these challenges, the performance must not falter. —Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Prospects of a near-term rebound in the $28-trillion U.S. government bond market are faltering, as Donald Trump’s return to the White House is expected to usher in fiscally expansive policies that could temper the extent of the Federal Reserve's future rate cuts. —Davide Barbuscia and Lewis Krauskopf, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

Read more Auto giants are getting nervous about the prospect of mega fines as EV demand falters Car giants are being forced to confront some hard truths over the EV transition Stellantis is struggling. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2024

If one type of flower falters, others thrive, ensuring that the garden is never barren. —Zennon Kapron, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

falter

verb

fal·​ter

ˈfȯl-tər

faltered; faltering

ˈfȯl-t(ə-)riŋ

1

: to move unsteadily : waver

2

: to stumble or hesitate in speech : stammer entry 1

her voice faltered

3

: to hesitate in purpose or action

courage that never falters

falter noun

falterer

-tər-ər

noun

falteringly

-t(ə-)riŋ-lē

adverb