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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Under the hood is an M2 chip, which performed fairly well in our tests but did feel sluggish at times—the laptop stuttered a bit while editing video footage and photos. Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024 But the team stuttered against the Philadelphia Eagles and then against the Atlanta Falcons in weeks 3 and 4. Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
Overcoming adversity: Love had a stutter that kept him from getting work after his playing career ended in 1977. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024 Biden, who has always had a stutter, has clearly lost an additional step in his rhetorical powers in recent years. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stutter 

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 2 Dec. 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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