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GRE vocabulary

falter

verbHigh-frequency wordMore F words

to lose strength or momentum; to hesitate or stumble in action or speech

Word origin: From Middle English falteren, of uncertain origin.

In a sentence

Falter in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing falter in a sentence.

His confidence faltered when he saw the size of the audience he was about to address.

Support for the initiative began to falter once the projected costs were made public.

Synonyms
hesitatewaverstumblevacillate
Antonyms
perseverecontinueadvancepersist
Usage & nuance

Using “falter” well

Falter means to lose strength or steadiness, whether physically stumbling, hesitating in speech, or weakening in resolve. It suggests wavering rather than outright failure.

Common questions

Questions about “falter

Falter (verb) means to lose strength or momentum; to hesitate or stumble in action or speech
Here is falter used in an example sentence: "His confidence faltered when he saw the size of the audience he was about to address." Another example: "Support for the initiative began to falter once the projected costs were made public."
Common synonyms for falter include hesitate, waver, stumble, vacillate.
Antonyms of falter include persevere, continue, advance, persist.
Clusters with hesitate, waver, stumble, and vacillate in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms persevere, continue, advance, and persist mark the contrast.
Yes. Falter is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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