fluttered; fluttering; flutters
1
: to flap the wings rapidly
butterflies fluttering among the flowers
2
a
: to move with quick wavering or flapping motions
a sail fluttering in the wind
b
: to vibrate in irregular spasms
his heart fluttered
3
: to move about or behave in an agitated aimless manner
She nervously fluttered around the office.
: to cause to flutter
The bird was fluttering its wings.
1
: an act of fluttering
2
3
a
: a distortion in reproduced sound similar to but of a higher pitch than wow
b
: fluctuation in the brightness of a television image
4
: an unwanted oscillation (as of an aileron or a bridge) set up by natural forces
5
chiefly British
: a small speculative venture or gamble
Synonyms
Examples of flutter in a Sentence
Verb
The bird was fluttering its wings.
The bird's wings were fluttering.
We watched the butterflies fluttering in the garden.
Leaves fluttered to the ground.
The breeze made the curtains flutter.
The breeze fluttered the curtains.
She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
She nervously fluttered around the office.
Noun
With a flutter of wings, the birds settled into the nest.
The flutter of the flame cast shadows on the ceiling.
He was in a flutter until he found his keys.
The news of her resignation caused quite a flutter.
have a flutter on a horse in the second race
Recent Examples on the Web
Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024
Across Malaysia, Palestinian flags flutter outside homes and restaurants, while the public have boycotted American brands such as Pizza Hut, KFC, and Starbucks with sufficient zeal to force some outlets to close.
—Charlie Campbell / Kulim, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2024
Inflation is a persistent issue requiring careful, long-term preparation rather than a passing flutter.
—Jim Osman, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flutter 
Verb
Slip this flower ring feeder over a finger, sprinkle some nectar in the center, and hold out your hand for a friend to flutter by for a bite.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024
Across Malaysia, Palestinian flags flutter outside homes and restaurants, while the public have boycotted American brands such as Pizza Hut, KFC, and Starbucks with sufficient zeal to force some outlets to close.
—Charlie Campbell / Kulim, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
Noun
This was the case at Prabal Gurung, where the cool breeze was seemingly working on commission blowing silk scarves and dress trains into artful, billowy flutters under the arches of the Manhattan Municipal Building, named for former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2024
Inflation is a persistent issue requiring careful, long-term preparation rather than a passing flutter.
—Jim Osman, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flutter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flutter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flutter
Cite this Entry
“Flutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flutter. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flutter
1 of 2 verb
flut·ter
ˈflət-ər 
1
: to move or cause the wings to move rapidly without flying or in short flights
butterflies flutter
2
: to move with quick wavering or flapping motions
flags fluttered in the breeze
3
: to move about or behave in an excited aimless manner
flutter
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of fluttering
2
3
: an unsteadiness of pitch in reproduced sound
Medical Definition
flutter
noun
flut·ter
ˈflət-ər
: an abnormal rapid spasmodic and usually rhythmic motion or contraction of a body part
diaphragmatic flutter
affected with ventricular flutter
flutter
intransitive verb
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