halting
Faltering in delivery
Halting means stopping and starting, marked by hesitation or interruption.
A halting gait is unsteady, perhaps from injury.
Halting speech comes out slowly, with pauses—from uncertainty, emotion, or struggling with a foreign language.
She spoke halting French.
The word suggests something labored rather than smooth.
Uncertain and provisional
- falteringBecoming unsteady or weak
- uncertainNot firmly known
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
- stammeringInvoluntary speech repetition
stuttering · stumbling · hesitation · reluctant · timid · doubtful · indecisive · vacillating
Cease all motion
- ceaseTo discontinue activity
- arrestSeize by law
- suspendHalt or hang temporarily
- terminateBring to an end
discontinue · interrupt · pause · freeze · standstill · cessation · stoppage · break
Uneven gait from injury
- hobblingWalking with impairment
- shufflingRandomizing order of items
- unsteadyLacking balance or stability
- jerkyCured meat snack
stilted · lurching · staggering · lame · crutches · favoring · labored · awkward
Speak with involuntary repetitions
- stutterInvoluntary speech repetition
- dysfluencyDisrupted speech pattern
- blocksObstructs or sections
- repetitionAct of redoing
articulation · fluency · impediment · pronunciation · elocution · verbalize · cluttering · hesitation
tentative
Uncertain and provisional
stammering · stuttering · stumbling · hesitation · reluctant · timid · doubtful · indecisive · vacillating · ambivalent
stop
Cease all motion
terminate · discontinue · interrupt · pause · freeze · standstill · cessation · stoppage · break · end
limping
Uneven gait from injury
- hobblingWalking with impairment
- shufflingRandomizing order of items
- unsteadyLacking balance or stability
jerky · stilted · lurching · staggering · lame · crutches · favoring · labored · awkward · stumbling
stammer
Speak with involuntary repetitions
- stutterInvoluntary speech repetition
- dysfluencyDisrupted speech pattern
- blocksObstructs or sections
repetition · articulation · fluency · impediment · pronunciation · elocution · verbalize · cluttering · hesitation · broken speech
intermission
Scheduled performance pause
lull · breather · recess · interval · rest · suspension · interruption · gap · interlude · time-out
- restrainingconstraining, restricting, limiting, confining, curbing
- breathingbreathing, inhalation, breath, exhalation, breathe
- defensedefense, defending, protecting, protection, security
- motion changesacceleration, deceleration, speeding up, slowing down, speedup
- self-controlself-control, restraint, willpower, composure, moderation
- speech qualitiesarticulate, clear, loud, soft, quiet
haltingfluent
Speaking smoothly, effortlessly
smooth · flowing · fluid · eloquent · effortless
haltingcontinuous
Without pause or gap
uninterrupted · steady · unbroken · sustained · continuing
- halting speechInterrupted, uneven talking