Falter

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: fal=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

Falter, v. t. 

 To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley.  Halliwell.  [1913 Webster]

Falter, v. i. [OE. falteren, faltren, prob. from fault. See Fault, v. & n.].

•  To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to stammer; as, his tongue falters.  [1913 Webster]

  "With faltering speech and visage incomposed."  [1913 Webster]
•  To tremble; to totter; to be unsteady.  Wiseman.  [1913 Webster]
•  To hesitate in purpose or action.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ere her native king
  Shall falter under foul rebellion's arms."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; -- said of the mind or of thought.  [1913 Webster]

  "Here indeed the power of disinct conception of space and distance falters."  [1913 Webster]

Falter, v. t. 

 To utter with hesitation, or in a broken, trembling, or weak manner.  [1913 Webster]
"And here he faltered forth his last farewell."  [1913 Webster]
"Mde me most happy, faltering “I am thine.”"  [1913 Webster]

Falter, n. [See Falter, v. i.].

 Hesitation; trembling; feebleness; an uncertain or broken sound; as, a slight falter in her voice.  [1913 Webster]
"The falter of an idle shepherd's pipe."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Falter, v.
1 intr. stumble, stagger; go unsteadily.
2 intr. waver; lose courage.
3 tr. & intr. stammer; speak hesitatingly.

Derivative

falterer n. falteringly adv.

Etymology

ME: orig. uncert.

THESAURUS

Falter

Bebung, abandon hope, back down, back out, balance, bashfulness, blench, blunder, bob, bobble, boggle, boggling, bounce, bump, careen, career, caution, cautiousness, chatter, chicken, chicken out, compunction, dally, dawdle, debate, delay, deliberate, demur, demurral, desert under fire, despair, despair of, despond, didder, diffidence, dillydally, dither, drag, faltering, fear, fight shy of, flag, flinch, flounce, flounder, flutter, funk, funk out, get cold feet, give up, give up hope, give way, goof off, grimace, halt, hang back, hang in doubt, hang off, have an ague, have qualms, haw, hem, hem and haw, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitate, hesitating, hesitation, hold off, hover, hum, hum and haw, hustle, jactitate, jar, jerk, jib, jig, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, labor, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, lose courage, lose heart, lose hope, lurch, make bones about, mammer, modesty, objection, pause, pitch, pitch and plunge, plunge, ponder, protest, pull back, quail, quake, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, quaver, quiver, recoil, reel, retreat, rictus, rock, roll, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, scuttle, seethe, shake, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, shiver, shock, shrink, shrinking, shudder, shy, shy at, shyness, sink into despair, skedaddle, stagger, stammer, stick at, stickle, stickling, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain, strain at, struggle, stumble, stutter, sway, swing, tarry, tentativeness, think twice, think twice about, thrash about, tic, topple, toss, toss and tumble, toss and turn, totter, trail, tremble, tremolando, tremolant, tremolo, tremor, trill, trillet, trilleto, trillo, tumble, twitch, twitter, vacillate, vibrate, vibrato, volutation, wallop, wallow, waste time, waver, welter, whine, wince, withdraw, wobble, yield, yield to despair

ROGET THESAURUS

Falter

Stammering

VB stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, hammer, balbutiate, balbucinate, haw, hum and haw, be unable to put two words together, mumble, mutter, maud, mauder, whisper, mince, lisp, jabber, gibber, sputter, splutter, muffle, mump, drawl, mouth, croak, speak thick, speak through the nose, snuffle, clip one's words, murder the language, murder the King's English, murder the Queen's English, mispronounce, missay.

Irresolution

VB be irresolute, hang in suspense, keep in suspense, leave "ad referendum", think twice about, pause, dawdle, remain neuter, dillydally, hesitate, boggle, hover, dacker, hum and haw, demur, not know one's own mind, debate, balance, dally with, coquet with, will and will not, chaser-balancer, go halfway, compromise, make a compromise, be thrown off one's balance, stagger like a drunken man, be afraid, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would', falter, waver vacillate, change, retract, fluctuate, pendulate, alternate, keep off and on, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, shuffle, palter, blink, trim.

Failure

VB fail, be unsuccessful, not succeed, make vain efforts, do in vain, labor in vain, toil in vain, flunk, lose one's labor, take nothing by one's motion, bring to naught, make nothing of, wash a blackamoor white, roll the stones of Sisyphus, do by halves, lose ground, fall short of, miss, miss one's aim, miss the mark, miss one's footing, miss stays, slip, trip, stumble, make a slip, blunder, make a mess of, make a botch of, bitch it, miscarry, abort, go up like a rocket and come down like the stick, come down in flames, get shot down, reckon without one's host, get the wrong pig by the tail, get the wrong sow by the ear, limp, halt, hobble, titubate, fall, tumble, lose one's balance, fall to the ground, fall between two stools, flounder, falter, stick in the mud, run aground, split upon a rock, beat one's head against a stone wall, run one's head against a stone wall, knock one's head against a stone wall, dash one's head against a stone wall, break one's back, break down, sink, drown, founder, have the ground cut from under one, get into trouble, get into a mess, get into a scrape, come to grief, go to the wall, go to the dogs, go to pot, lick the dust, bite the dust, be defeated, have the worst of it, lose the day, come off second best, lose, fall a prey to, succumb, not have a leg to stand on, come to nothing, end in smoke, flat out, fall to the ground, fall through, fall dead, fall stillborn, fall flat, slip through one's fingers, hang fire, miss fire, flash in the pan, collapse, topple down, go to wrack and ruin, go amiss, go wrong, go cross, go hard with, go on a wrong tack, go on ill, come off ill, turn out ill, work ill, take a wrong term, take an ugly term, take an ugly turn, take a turn for the worse, be all over with, be all up with, explode, dash one's hopes, defeat the purpose, sow the wind and reap the whirlwind, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, go from the frying pan into the fire.

Hopelessness

VB despair, lose all hope, give up all hope, abandon all hope, relinquish all hope, lose the hope of, give up the hope of, abandon the hope of, relinquish the hope of, give up, give over, yield to despair, falter, despond, jeter le manche apres la cognee, inspire despair, drive to despair, disconcert, dash one's hopes, crush one's hopes, destroy one's hopes, hope against hope, abandon, resign, surrender, submit.

Fear

VB fear, stand in awe of, be afraid, have qualms, apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance, distrust, hesitate, falter, funk, cower, crouch, skulk, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' take fright, take alarm, start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink, fly, tremble, shake, shiver, shiver in one's shoes, shudder, flutter, shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over, quake, quaver, quiver, quail, grow pale, turn pale, blench, stand aghast, not dare to say one's soul is one's own, inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe, raise apprehensions, be in a daze, bulldoze, faze, feeze, give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm, alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay, fright, frighten, terrify, astound, fright from one's propriety, fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses, awe, strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror, harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify, pile on the agony, make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter, take away one's breath, stop one's breath, make one tremble, haunt, prey on the mind, weigh on the mind, put in fear, put in bodily fear, terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage, browbeat, bully, threaten.

Slowness

VB move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.