fluttered; fluttering; flutters
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.
: to cause to flutter
The bird was fluttering its wings.
1
: an act of fluttering
2
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
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
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Stroll the Butterfly Garden to see butterflies fluttering about the plants that were planted especially to give them a home.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Alongside the continued dominance of genre packages, such as horror, action and thrillers, more films about relationships and romance have hit the market, hoping to make buyers’ hearts (and budgets) flutter.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flutter
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Verb
Pugh’s dress wholly evoked dark glamour, with a high neckline, fluttering short sleeves and a hint of contrasting fabric throughout the design of the dress.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Stroll the Butterfly Garden to see butterflies fluttering about the plants that were planted especially to give them a home.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
Growing about two feet tall and three feet wide, its delicate blades arch and flutter in the breeze to great effect.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Alongside the continued dominance of genre packages, such as horror, action and thrillers, more films about relationships and romance have hit the market, hoping to make buyers’ hearts (and budgets) flutter.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flutter
Cite this Entry
“Flutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flutter. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
flutter
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of fluttering
2
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
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