falter Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun the act of pausing uncertainly
faltering; hesitation; waver.
- there was a hesitation in his speech
verb be unsure or weak
waver.
- Their enthusiasm is faltering
verb move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
waver.
verb walk unsteadily
bumble; stumble.
- The drunk man stumbled about
verb speak haltingly
bumble; stammer; stutter.
- The speaker faltered when he saw his opponent enter the room

To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley. Prov. Eng. Halliwell.

OE. falteren, faltren, prob. from fault. See Fault, v. & n.

imperfect & past participle Faltered ; present participle & verbal noun Faltering

To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to stammer; as, his tongue falters.
With faltering speech and visage incomposed. Milton.
To tremble; to totter; to be unsteady. "He found his legs falter." Wiseman.
To hesitate in purpose or action.
Ere her native king Shall falter under foul rebellion's arms. Shak.
To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; -- said of the mind or of thought.
Here indeed the power of disinct conception of space and distance falters. I. Taylor.

To utter with hesitation, or in a broken, trembling, or weak manner.
And here he faltered forth his last farewell. Byron.

Mde me most happy, faltering "I am thine." Tennyson.

See Falter, v. i.

Hesitation; trembling; feebleness; an uncertain or broken sound; as, a slight falter in her voice.
The falter of an idle shepherd's pipe. Lowell.