falter

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈfɔltəɹ/ UK /ˈfɒltə/ See IPA manual

Freq #25844

Meanings

1

verb
To become weaker or less steady; to lose strength or confidence.

Their enthusiasm began to falter halfway through the project.
2

verb
To speak in a hesitant, unsteady, or trembling way.

His voice faltered as he read the sad news.
3

verb
To hesitate or pause because of doubt.

She never faltered in her decision to leave.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to become weaker or less... waver

2 verb · to speak in a hesitant,... stammer stutter

More flounder

Word family

Forms falteredfalteringfalters

Derived forms falterer

Etymology

From Middle English falteren (“to stagger; be unsteady, tremble, quiver; to stammer; be entangled, get caught”), further origin unknown. Probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“to hesitate, be puzzled, be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual.

falteren Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# falter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɔltəɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfɒltə/
**Frequency rank:** 25844

## Meanings
1. To become weaker or less steady; to lose strength or confidence.
2. To speak in a hesitant, unsteady, or trembling way.
3. To hesitate or pause because of doubt.

## Examples
- Their enthusiasm began to falter halfway through the project.
- His voice faltered as he read the sad news.
- She never faltered in her decision to leave.

## Synonyms
- flounder

## Derived Forms
- falterer

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: falteren

## Etymology
From Middle English falteren (“to stagger; be unsteady, tremble, quiver; to stammer; be entangled, get caught”), further origin unknown. Probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“to hesitate, be puzzled, be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual.

## AI Etymology
Falter comes from Middle English falteren (“to stagger; be unsteady, tremble, quiver; to stammer; be entangled, get caught”), further origin unknown. Probably from a North Germanic source such as Old Norse faltrask (“to hesitate, be puzzled, be encumbered”). May also be a frequentative of fold, although the change from d to t is unusual. In current use, the main senses are “To become weaker or less steady; to lose strength or confidence” and “To speak in a hesitant, unsteady, or trembling way”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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