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

Her breaking point came during a task that repeatedly pulled the interlocked participants under frigid water: The soggy Sutter faltered when running from the beach with a 30-pound rucksack. —Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025

Over the course of the war, ceasefire negotiations have faltered at the eleventh hour on several occasions. —Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025

Noun

But then there are those moments when Josephine’s bluster falters, revealing the raw and heartbreaking vulnerability still pulsing underneath. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2024

When people feel reduced to numbers, engagement falters. —Rasmus Holst, Forbes, 20 Dec. 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