1. (v. t.) To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley.
2. (v. & n.) To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to stammer; as, his tongue falters.
3. (v. & n.) To tremble; to totter; to be unsteady.
4. (v. & n.) To hesitate in purpose or action.
5. (v. & n.) To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; -- said of the mind or of thought.
6. (v. t.) To utter with hesitation, or in a broken, trembling, or weak manner.
7. (v. i.) Hesitation; trembling; feebleness; an uncertain or broken sound; as, a slight falter in her voice.
Thesaurus Entries
Bebung, abandon hope, back down, back out, balance, bashfulness, blench, blunder, bob, bobble, boggle, boggling, bounce, bump, careen, career, caution, cautiousness, chatter, chicken, chicken out, compunction, dally, dawdle, debate, delay, deliberate, demur, demurral, desert under fire, despair, despair of, despond, didder, diffidence, dillydally, dither, drag, faltering, fear, fight shy of, flag, flinch, flounce, flounder, flutter, funk, funk out, get cold feet, give up, give up hope, give way, goof off, grimace, halt, hang back, hang in doubt, hang off, have an ague, have qualms, haw, hem, hem and haw, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitate, hesitating, hesitation, hold off, hover, hum, hum and haw, hustle, jactitate, jar, jerk, jib, jig, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, jounce, jump, labor, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, lose courage, lose heart, lose hope, lurch, make bones about, mammer, modesty, objection, pause, pitch, pitch and plunge, plunge, ponder, protest, pull back, quail, quake, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, quaver, quiver, recoil, reel, retreat, rictus, rock, roll, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, scuttle, seethe, shake, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, shiver, shock, shrink, shrinking, shudder, shy, shy at, shyness, sink into despair, skedaddle, stagger, stammer, stick at, stickle, stickling, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain, strain at, struggle, stumble, stutter, sway, swing, tarry, tentativeness, think twice, think twice about, thrash about, tic, topple, toss, toss and tumble, toss and turn, totter, trail, tremble, tremolando, tremolant, tremolo, tremor, trill, trillet, trilleto, trillo, tumble, twitch, twitter, vacillate, vibrate, vibrato, volutation, wallop, wallow, waste time, waver, welter, whine, wince, withdraw, wobble, yield, yield to despair
