flutter

[ fluht-er ]

verb (used without object)

1. to wave, flap, or toss about:

   Banners fluttered in the breeze.

2. to flap the wings rapidly; fly with flapping movements.
3. to move in quick, irregular motions; vibrate.
4. to beat rapidly, as the heart.
5. to be tremulous or agitated.
6. to go with irregular motions or aimless course:

   to flutter back and forth.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to flutter; vibrate; agitate.
2. to throw into nervous or tremulous excitement; cause mental agitation; confuse.

noun

1. a fluttering movement:

   He made little nervous flutters with his hands.

2. a state of nervous excitement or mental agitation:

   a flutter of anticipation.

   Synonyms: dither, stir, twitter, flurry

3. flutter kick.
4. Audio. a variation in pitch resulting from rapid fluctuations in the speed of a recording. Compare wow ²( def 1 ).
5. Chiefly British. a small wager or speculative investment.

flutter

/ ˈflʌtə /

verb

1. to wave or cause to wave rapidly; flap
2. intr (of birds, butterflies, etc) to flap the wings
3. intr to move, esp downwards, with an irregular motion
4. intr pathol (of the auricles of the heart) to beat abnormally rapidly, esp in a regular rhythm
5. to be or make nervous or restless
6. intr to move about restlessly
7. swimming to cause (the legs) to move up and down in a flutter kick or (of the legs) to move in this way
8. informal.
   tr to wager or gamble (a small amount of money)

noun

1. a quick flapping or vibrating motion
2. a state of nervous excitement or confusion
3. excited interest; sensation; stir
4. informal.
   a modest bet or wager
5. pathol an abnormally rapid beating of the auricles of the heart (200 to 400 beats per minute), esp in a regular rhythm, sometimes resulting in heart block
6. electronics a slow variation in pitch in a sound-reproducing system, similar to wow but occurring at higher frequencies
7. a potentially dangerous oscillation of an aircraft, or part of an aircraft, caused by the interaction of aerodynamic forces, structural elastic reactions, and inertia
8. swimming See flutter kick
9. Also calledflutter tonguing music a method of sounding a wind instrument, esp the flute, with a rolling movement of the tongue

Derived Forms

• ˈflutterer, noun
• ˈflutteringly, adverb

Other Words From

• flutter·er noun
• flutter·ing·ly adverb
• un·fluttered adjective
• un·flutter·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flutter¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English floteren, Old English floterian, frequentative of flotian “to float ”

Word History and Origins

Origin of flutter¹

Old English floterian to float to and fro; related to German flattern ; see float

Synonym Study

See fly ².

Example Sentences

Then, in the middle of it all, lulled by the flutter of Chris Speed’s clarinet, Holter seems to step outside of the labyrinth for a breath of fresh air.

From New York Times

At the moment, though, it’s hard to concentrate on anything other than the giant golden butterfly fluttering around our table.

From Los Angeles Times

At the military cemetery of the Field of Mars, the sea of yellow and blue flags fluttering over the graves of Ukraine’s war dead is massive and continues to grow each week.

From BBC

"They should be dumping a fortune on ads that show Harris saluting troops, backgrounded by the fluttering Stars and Stripes and ringed by generals and former national security officials."

From Salon

At 60, the sinewy Harbaugh is as fit as any head coach in the game, and his heart issues — diagnosed as atrial flutter — are not indisputably attributable to the stress of the game.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drift
• flicker
• flit
• flop
• hover
• quiver
• shiver
• throb
• tremble
• vibrate
• wiggle
• wobble

More About Flutter

What does flutter mean?

To flutter is to wave, flap, or toss, usually in reference to wings. The baby robin fluttered its wings as it prepared to fly from the nest for the first time.

To flutter is to move in a quick, irregular motion or to vibrate, as when a flag flutters in a small breeze. Often, the difference between flapping and fluttering is that fluttering wings move in an irregular pattern or so fast that you cannot distinguish individual flaps.

A flutter is the movement of fluttering, as in The flutter of a hummingbird’s wings is so fast that it creates a buzzing sound.

A flutter is also a figurative term that describes a moment of nervousness, such as you might feel before a big exam. Some people describe it as feeling like butterflies fluttering in their stomach. A fluttering stomach is a nervous one, perhaps feeling slightly queasy. Other people describe such a feeling as a fluttering heart, particularly when they feel nervous about someone they have romantic feelings for. This, too, is figurative.

In medicine, flutter is used literally to describe an irregular heartbeat, often in the term atrial flutter, which can cause irregular blood flow and different issues in the body. If your heart flutters and it’s not temporary nervousness, you should tell your doctor.

Example: I always get a little flutter the night before a performance.

Where does flutter come from?

The first records of the term flutter are from before the 1000s. It ultimately comes from the Old English flotian meaning “to float.” When a small animal such as a hummingbird flutters its wings, it appears to float in the air.

When audio is recorded on hard disc or tape instead of digitally, occasionally the recording table or tape that the sound is printed on can become lopsided or off balance. This causes a fluctuation in the recording speed, which occasionally speeds up or slows down the sound that is recorded. This speeding up and slowing down is called fluttering because it causes the sound, especially if it is a human voice, to rapidly become high pitched or low pitched.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to flutter?

• flutterer (noun)
• flutteringly (adverb)
• unfluttered (adjective)
• fluttery (adjective)

What are some synonyms for flutter?

• drift
• flicker
• flit
• tremble
• wobble

What are some words that share a root or word element with flutter?

• flutterboard
• flutter kick
• flutter wheel

What are some words that often get used in discussing flutter?

• bird
• bug
• heart
• wings

How is flutter used in real life?

Flutter is normally used casually unless it refers to specific or scientific phrases containing the term.

THANK YOUUU FOR ALL OF MY LOVELY GIFTS , you guys make my heart flutter 💕

— Normani (@Normani) May 31, 2014

Bruce Bochy underwent a minor ablation procedure this morning to alleviate some discomfort he was experiencing due to an atrial flutter.

— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) April 18, 2017

figure skating + ice dancing make my heart flutter❄️

— Laurie Hernandez (@LaurieHernandez) February 12, 2018

Try using flutter!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for flutter?

A. float
B. hover
C. fly
D. sink