To falter means to stumble or lose strength, becoming unsteady or hesitant when you were moving forward with confidence. When a runner falters near the finish line, their legs might wobble and their pace might slow. When a student's voice falters during a presentation, they might pause awkwardly or speak less clearly than before.

The word captures that moment when confidence or strength starts to give way. A basketball team that's been winning all season might falter in the playoffs, suddenly losing games they should have won. A company's profits might falter after years of success. Your resolve to practice piano every day might falter after a few weeks.

Faltering doesn't necessarily mean complete failure or collapse. It's more like hitting a rough patch or experiencing a wobble. A mountain climber might falter on a difficult section of the climb but then regain their footing and continue upward. The word often appears in the phrase without faltering, which means staying steady and strong: “She completed the marathon without faltering.”

When you falter, you're still in the game; you've just hit a moment of weakness or uncertainty. What happens next depends on whether you can steady yourself and push through.