halting
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Done with frequent stops or pauses; hesitant, faltering: Characterized by a lack of fluency or smoothness, often due to uncertainty, difficulty, or emotional strain.
- Lame, limping: Having a disability or impairment in the feet or legs, causing an uneven or unsteady gait.
Usage and Examples
Adjective (Hesitant, faltering):
- She gave a halting explanation, struggling to find the right words.
- The old man spoke in a halting voice, his memories returning slowly.
- The peace talks proceeded in a halting manner, with frequent interruptions.
Adjective (Lame, limping):
- The halting soldier walked with the aid of a cane. (This usage is now less common and can be considered dated or insensitive; terms like "mobility-impaired" are often preferred in modern contexts.)
Advanced Usage
- "Haltingly" (Adverb): In a hesitant or faltering manner.
- He spoke haltingly about his experiences during the war.
Variants and Related Words
- Halt (Verb): To stop or cause to stop.
- The car halted at the red light.
- Halt (Noun): A temporary stop or interruption.
- Work came to a halt during the storm.
Synonyms
- Faltering: Speaking or moving unsteadily.
- Hesitant: Tentative or unsure.
- Stammering: Speaking with involuntary pauses or repetitions.
- Limping (for the physical sense): Walking with difficulty, typically due to an injured leg or foot.
Antonyms
- Fluid: Smooth and continuous.
- Fluent: Speaking easily and readily.
- Steady: Firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or moving.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- Come to a halt: To stop completely.
- Production came to a halt after the power outage.
- Grind to a halt: To stop slowly and completely, often noisily or with difficulty.
- Traffic ground to a halt on the highway.
Adjective
- fragmentary or halting from emotional strain
- uttered a few halting words of sorrow
- disabled in the feet or legs
- a crippled soldier
- a game leg