falter
pronunciation
How to pronounce falter in British English:
UK [ˈfɔ:ltə(r)]
How to pronounce falter in American English:
US [ˈfɔltɚ]
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- Noun:
- the act of pausing uncertainly
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- Verb:
- be unsure or weak
- move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
- walk unsteadily
- speak haltingly
Word Origin
- falter (v.)
- late 14c., "to stagger, totter," of unknown origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse faltrask "be burdened, hesitate, be troubled"), or else a frequentative of Middle English falden "to fold," influenced by fault (but OED rejects any direct connection to that word). Of the tongue, "to stammer," mid-15c. Related: Faltered; faltering.
Example
- 1. Or will the economic miracle falter or even collapse ?
- 2. As resident mitochondria falter , the cells they fuel wither or die .
- 3. When the authority of fathers begins to falter political power generally collapses as well .
- 4. If the data falter , commodities will fall as quickly as they have risen .
- 5. America 's advantages due to these firms could falter if their ability to innovate stalls .