Definition
To move unsteadily or stumble; to lose confidence or strength; to pause uncertainly when speaking.
Etymology
Possibly from Scandinavian origins, related to Old Norse or Middle Low German 'falteren'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it appeared in English around the 1500s.
Kelly Says
The word 'falter' can describe walking stumbles, moral wavering, and speech hesitation—it captures that moment when things lose momentum. You see it a lot in speeches: when a speaker falters, the audience immediately feels something is wrong.
Translations
DEDeutsch
zaudern
za-u-dern
ELΕλληνικά
παρανοία
pa-ra-no-ia
ESEspañol
vacilar
va-si-lar
FISuomi
epävarmuutta
e-pä-var-muu-tta
FRFrançais
hésiter
e-zi-ter
HEעברית
להיסוס
le-his-sos
HIहिन्दी
हिचकिचाना
hich-kich-cha-na
HUMagyar
ingadozni
in-ga-doz-ni
IDBahasa Indonesia
bergoyang
ber-go-yang
IGIG
to gbagwu
to g-ba-gwu
ITItaliano
fallire
fal-li-re
KMKM
ការពិចារណា
ka-ar pi-cha-ra-na
KO한국어
망설이다
mang-seol-i-da
MSBahasa Melayu
bergoyang
ber-go-yang
MYမြန်မာ
ငြိငြိ
ngyi-ngyi
NLNederlands
wankelen
wan-ke-len
PLPolski
wahać się
va-hat se
PTPortuguês
vacilar
va-si-lar
RORomână
a se zbate
a se z-ba-te
RUРусский
колебаться
kole-ba-tsya
SWKiswahili
kuteteka
ku-te-te-ka
TAதமிழ்
சந்தேகம்
san-the-ga-m
TEతెలుగు
దౌర్భాగ్యం
da-ur-bha-ag-yam
TLTL
maging-maging
ma-ging-ma-ging
TRTürkçe
titremek
ti-tre-mek
UKУкраїнська
вагатися
va-ha-ty-sya
ZUZU
ukuthula
u-ku-thu-la