halting

1 of 2

adjective

halt·​ing ˈhȯl-tiŋ 

: marked by a lack of sureness or effectiveness

spoke in a halting manner

haltingly

ˈhȯl-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

halting

2 of 2

present participle of halt entry 1, halt entry 3

Examples of halting in a Sentence

Adjective

She answered in a halting voice.

The baby took a few halting steps.

Progress in the negotiations has been halting.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

According to Axios reporting Sunday, a White House official said the proposal initially focused on halting attacks on oil refineries, with a broader ceasefire covering power plants and electricity grids potentially following. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

The movie proceeds in reverse chronological order, through twenty years of Korea’s halting democratization and seven chapters in the life of an Everyman, played by the then unknown Sul Kyung-gu. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

For example, if it can be shown that the solution to a question about a Super Mario game would solve the halting problem, then Super Mario is at least as complex as the halting problem itself. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026

Toronto traffic was relentless, the streets jammed, and cyclists zipping among the halting cars posed a hazard to unwary pedestrians. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for halting

• faulting
• malting
• salting
• vaulting
• assaulting
• defaulting
• desalting
• exalting

Kids Definition

halting

adjective

halt·​ing ˈhȯl-tiŋ 

: being unsure or hesitant

spoke in a halting manner

haltingly adverb