Words / C1

FORLT-uh/ˈfɔːltə/

To falter is to lose strength, confidence, or a steady rhythm: talks falter, a voice falters, a sitting falters. Hesitate (already in the dictionary) is a pause before acting; fail is the end; stall (already in the dictionary) is progress stopping, often on purpose. Do not treat a missing spare as a mysterious loss of “momentum”.

Meaning

To lose strength or confidence, or to speak/move in a hesitant way.

Examples

• “The sitting faltered when the spare invigilator did not arrive.”
• “Hesitate is already in this course (before you start). Stumble is physical or verbal. Collapse is stronger. Momentum is a slogan. A blank on the rota is a cause. Name the person who did not arrive; then the verb.”

Good to know

Weaken / hesitate. Close: hesitate (already in the dictionary); stall (already in the dictionary). A missing spare is a cause, not a vibe.

Near in meaning

waver

New