stutter

1 of 2

verb

stut·​ter ˈstə-tər How to pronounce stutter (audio)
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 uphillWilliam Cleary

transitive verb

: to say, speak, or sound with or as if with a stutter
stutterer 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 invasion gave Putin a nationalist message around which to rally Russians, boosting his own image, and even as Russia’s campaign stuttered over the course of 2023, the war retained widespread support. Rob Picheta, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 The invasion gave Putin a nationalist message around which to rally Russians, and even as Russia’s campaign stuttered over the course of 2023, the war retained widespread support. Rob Picheta, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 As well as grappling with a stuttering economy, Sunak is trying to overcome a U.K. Supreme Court ban on his signature migration policy, a plan to send asylum-seekers who reach Britain across the English Channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda. Jill Lawless The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 17 Feb. 2024 Taylor Hill’s brooding, dynamic production blends stuttering hi-hats with sultry guitars, making for an instrumental every bit as immersive as Sir’s lead vocal. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2024 Europe has stuttered since the disappearance of cheap Russian oil and gas in the wake of sanctions that followed the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 6 Feb. 2024 Blunt was there to accept the Wells Fargo’s Power of Women Alumni Award for dedicating her time and energy to help children overcome stuttering through educational resources at the American Institute for Stuttering. Meredith Woerner, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023 Israeli artillery was on Ain Ebel’s doorstep, and Diab never stuttered. Matt Bradley, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2023 Others stutter out a few words and fall suddenly silent. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Noun
In fact, one of the clips from Trump’s speech on Saturday which got the most coverage was his mockery of Biden’s stutter: a churlish—and, no doubt, premeditated—slur. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024 To then be able to walk from his dorm to the diner behind the Westwood Drug Store, enter the back door that saved the freshman with a stutter from unnecessary banter with customers, and often find Jerry West made Hollis Johnson’s a safe zone for Walton as well. Scott Howard-Cooper., Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Biden, who has a stutter, often speaks in a whisper, sometimes tripping over his words, Stromer-Galley said. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 Critics of Biden have not shied away from questioning the president’s cognitive ability and excoriating his stutter. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024 While Gracie speaks with a lisp, Joe talks with a stutter — both indicators of stunted childhoods, or pieces of performative victimhood? EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023 By the end of elementary school, to Dalton’s relief, the stutter had faded away. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 There were no stutters in the UI but these slow-down of animations and tabs reloading at every unlock bothered me through my review process. Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 The game is therefore targeted to hit 30 fps to provide a predictable update rate, fewer stutters, and a responsive interface. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 19 Nov. 2023

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of stutter was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near stutter

Cite this Entry

“Stutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stutter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stutter

1 of 2 verb
stut·​ter ˈstət-ər How to pronounce stutter (audio)
: to speak in an uneven way with involuntary repeating or interruption of sounds
stutterer 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 How to pronounce stutter (audio)
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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