halting

[ hawl-ting ]

adjective

1. faltering or hesitating, especially in speech.
2. faulty or imperfect.
3. limping or lame:

   a halting gait.

halting

/ ˈhɔːltɪŋ /

adjective

1. hesitant

   halting speech

2. lame

Derived Forms

• ˈhaltingness, noun
• ˈhaltingly, adverb

Other Words From

• halting·ly adverb
• halting·ness noun
• un·halting adjective
• un·halting·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of halting¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; halt ², -ing ²

Example Sentences

The government has also announced that it will start means-testing winter fuel payments, halting them for 10 million pensioners in England and Wales.

From BBC

The study found that the adjuvant encouraged a mucosal immune response, spurring the activation of immune cells in the respiratory tract critical for halting the bacteria's ability to colonize.

From Science Daily

Deforestation fell significantly in Brazil's Amazon in 2023 but the world remains far off track to meeting its target of halting it by 2030, according to the World Resources Institute.

From BBC

He broke his leg as a junior at Sheldon on a 35-yard run, halting a promising season that included 10 touchdown passes in the first three games.

From Los Angeles Times

In the run-up to the first summit, he announced that Pyongyang would be halting missile and nuclear tests.

From BBC

Related Words

• awkward
• clumsy
• labored
• stumbling
• tentative