falters
Stumbles mid-stride nervously
Falters is the third-person singular of falter.
To falter is to waver, stumble, or lose momentum.
Someone's voice falters when emotion breaks through: Her voice faltered as she described the accident.
Resolve falters when determination weakens.
Steps falter when physical strength fails.
The economy falters when growth stalls.
Faltering suggests temporary weakness rather than complete collapse—a hesitation that might be overcome.
Temporary cessation of activity
- waverHesitate or fluctuate
- hesitatePause in uncertainty
- ditherNervous inability to choose
- vacillateWaver between choices
stall · delay · hold back · hang back · balk · demur · scruple · equivocate
Planned travel somewhere
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
- staggerWalk unsteadily, sway
- lurchAbrupt unsteady movement
- totterMove unsteadily, nearly falling
teeter · misstep · wobble · sway · unsteady · slip · flounder · reel
Reduce in strength
- flagCloth symbol or signal
- fadeLose intensity gradually
- waneDecrease gradually
- tireLose strength or energy
droop · sag · wilt · languish · lose strength · give way · buckle · fail
Be unsuccessful
- break downFail mechanically or emotionally
- malfunctionFailure to operate properly
- sputterEmit irregular popping sounds
- stallEnclosed compartment or delay
give out · conk out · crash · collapse · cease · stop working · quit · die
Speak with involuntary repetitions
- stutterInvoluntary speech repetition
- trail offDiminish gradually to nothing
- mumbleSpeak softly, indistinctly
- hem and hawSpeak evasively, delay deciding
break off · go blank · tongue-tied · halting speech · choke up · garble · splutter
pause
Temporary cessation of activity
vacillate · stall · delay · hold back · hang back · balk · demur · scruple · equivocate · second-guess
trip
Planned travel somewhere
totter · teeter · misstep · wobble · sway · unsteady · slip · flounder · reel · shamble
weaken
Reduce in strength
tire · droop · sag · wilt · languish · lose strength · give way · buckle · fail · decline
fail
Be unsuccessful
- break downFail mechanically or emotionally
- malfunctionFailure to operate properly
- sputterEmit irregular popping sounds
stall · give out · conk out · crash · collapse · cease · stop working · quit · die · cut out
stammer
Speak with involuntary repetitions
- stutterInvoluntary speech repetition
- trail offDiminish gradually to nothing
- mumbleSpeak softly, indistinctly
hem and haw · break off · go blank · tongue-tied · halting speech · choke up · garble · splutter
falterspersists
Carries on stubbornly
continues · perseveres · endures · holds steady · carries on
faltersthrives
Succeeds and grows
flourishes · surges · strengthens · intensifies · rallies
falter, faltering, unfaltering, faltered, falteringly, falterer, falterers, unfalteringly, falterings