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
David Oliver, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024
European flags flutter in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) building prior to a news conference following the meeting of the governing council of the ECB in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, on September 12, 2024.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
Angela Ryan Lee, Health, 6 Sep. 2024
But the arrhythmia — diagnosed as an atrial flutter — resurfaced in more dramatic fashion during pregame warmups, prompting him to briefly duck into the blue medical tent on the sideline then head for the locker room flanked by team medical personnel.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flutter 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Verb
Butterflies flutter among red and orange flowers that line guest casitas.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024
European flags flutter in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) building prior to a news conference following the meeting of the governing council of the ECB in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, on September 12, 2024.
—Jenni Reid, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
Noun
May Have Genetic Causes Atrial flutter is not genetic.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Health, 6 Sep. 2024
But the arrhythmia — diagnosed as an atrial flutter — resurfaced in more dramatic fashion during pregame warmups, prompting him to briefly duck into the blue medical tent on the sideline then head for the locker room flanked by team medical personnel.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flutter
Dictionary Entries Near flutter
Cite this Entry
“Flutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flutter. Accessed 5 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share