halting

adjective

halt·​ing ˈhȯl-tiŋ How to pronounce halting (audio)
: marked by a lack of sureness or effectiveness
spoke in a halting manner
haltingly adverb

Examples of halting in a Sentence

She answered in a halting voice. The baby took a few halting steps. Progress in the negotiations has been halting.
Recent Examples on the Web The Democratic Party has been engulfed in conversations over the past two weeks over whether Biden is the best candidate to beat former President Trump following his halting debate performance on June 27. Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 9 July 2024 Two weeks before the Butler attempt on Trump’s life, President Joe Biden had triggered a crisis in the Democratic Party with his halting debate performance. Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Sep. 2024 Therefore, none of the halting Turing machines will go beyond one calculation step, which is why BB(1) = 1. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 July 2024 By now your internal rhythm has been disrupted, for that is the abrupt and halting impact of darkness on a body previously attuned to sunlight, sea air, the pastel patchwork of color and stone forming the Venetian scape. Travis Jeppesen, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for halting 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'halting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of halting was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near halting

Cite this Entry

“Halting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halting. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

halting

adjective
halt·​ing ˈhȯl-tiŋ How to pronounce halting (audio)
: being unsure or hesitant
spoke in a halting manner
haltingly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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