flutter

1 of 2

verb

flut·​ter ˈflə-tər 

fluttered; fluttering; flutters

intransitive verb

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.

transitive verb

: to cause to flutter

The bird was fluttering its wings.

flutterer

ˈflə-tər-ər 

noun

fluttery

ˈflə-tər-ē 

adjective

flutter

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of fluttering

2

a

: a state of nervous confusion or excitement

b

: flurry, commotion

c

: abnormal spasmodic fluttering of a body part

treatment of atrial flutter

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

Verb

• flit
• dart
• dance

Noun

• flurry
• burst
• flicker

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

Verb

What was supposed to be down and on the outside corner instead fluttered up and above the zone. —Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025

Every exploding firework rocket will eventually tumble and flutter down to the ground in a cloud of debris. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4 July 2025

Noun

Outside, all his water bowls were cracked and dry, their rims warped by the heat, and not a flutter, a whistle, or a hum in the trees. —Literary Hub, 10 July 2025

And that flutter of success, or pang of failure, lives on well after the competition. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English floteren to float, flutter, from Old English floterian, frequentative of flotian to float; akin to Old English flēotan to float — more at fleet

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flutter

• flutter kick
• flutter sleeve

Rhymes for flutter

• butter
• clutter
• cutter
• gutter
• mutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter
• stutter
• utter

Kids 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

fluttery

ˈflət-ə-rē 

adjective

flutter

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act of fluttering

2

: flurry sense 2, commotion

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