stutter

1 of 2

verb

stut·​ter ˈstə-tər 

stuttered; stuttering; stutters

intransitive verb

1

: to speak with involuntary disruption or blocking of speech (as by repetition or prolongation of vocal sounds)

2

: to move or act in a halting or spasmodic manner

the old jalopy bucks and stutters uphill

—William Cleary

transitive verb

: to say, speak, or sound with or as if with a stutter

stutterer

ˈstə-tər-ər 

noun

stutter

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of stuttering

2

: the habitual tendency to stutter

had a mild stutter

: stuttering

Examples of stutter in a Sentence

Verb

I used to stutter when I was a child.

She stutters when she gets excited.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The King’s Speech is the apex of that trend: This eminently likable story, about a stuttering king (Colin Firth) and the speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helps him, hits every inspirational beat and has a patina of class to it. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024

That Bill overcame stuttering to become an insightful and entertaining broadcaster is a testament to his work ethic and perseverance. —Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2024

Noun

Yet in part because of a stiff gait and a stutter, as well as some other moments, Biden’s age has been of far greater focus of the mainstream press than his rival. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 June 2024

One scans the catalogue in vain for mentions of the jolts and stutters of de Kooning’s compositions, or the crudeness of his faces and bodies—instead, his blends of beauty and glorious, wailing ugliness have been accepted as just another kind of beauty. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of English dialect stut to stutter, from Middle English stutten; akin to Dutch stotteren to stutter, Goth stautan to strike — more at contusion

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stutter

• stutter step

Kids Definition

stutter

1 of 2 verb

stut·​ter ˈstət-ər 

: to speak in an uneven way with involuntary repeating or interruption of sounds

stutterer

-ər-ər 

noun

stutter

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of stuttering

2

: a speech disorder involving stuttering

Medical Definition

stutter

1 of 2 intransitive verb

stut·​ter ˈstət-ər 

: to speak with involuntary disruption or blocking of speech (as by repetition or prolongation of vocal sounds)

transitive verb

: to say, speak, or sound with or as if with a stutter

stutter

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of stuttering

2

: the habitual tendency to stutter

had a mild stutter

: stuttering sense 2