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

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

From BBC

The unfounded conspiracy theories shared by Trump have had real-world consequences, with threats of violence against aid workers temporarily halting some operations.

From Salon

A halting, confused performance by Biden in his late June debate with the former president left Democrats in a full-blown panic.

From BBC

A San Bernardino Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday halting Chino Valley Unified’s controversial new policy requiring schools to notify parents if students identify as gender-nonconforming.

From Los Angeles Times

What’s come of that attentiveness is concrete action, he said, pointing to the drinking water and Superfund regulations, as well as guidance from the Department of Defense on halting ongoing contamination from groundwater around affected military bases.

From Salon

Related Words

• awkward
• clumsy
• labored
• stumbling
• tentative