释义 |
faltering, ppl. a.|ˈfɔːltərɪŋ, ˈfɒltərɪŋ| [f. falter v.1 + -ing2.] 1. That falters; in senses of the vb.: a. of a person, the limbs, etc.
1549Coverdale Erasm. Par. Heb. xii. 12 Your weake and foltryng knees. 1667Milton P.L. ix. 846 Oft his [Adam's] heart..Misgave him; hee the faultring measure felt. 1744Akenside Pleas. Imag. iii. 210 With faultering feet. 1820Keats St. Agnes xxii, Her faltering hand upon the balustrade. 1884J. Colborne Hicks Pasha 178 The poor fellow then staggered on with faltering step. b. of the voice, tongue, accent. Also of a person speaking, a breeze.
1590Spenser F.Q. iii. xi. 12 Swelling throbs empeach His foltering tongue. 1642Milton Apol. Smect. (1851) 253 Speaking deeds against faltering words. 1741Middleton Cicero I. iv. 318 In broken, faultering accents. 1773Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. v, The faultering gentleman, with looks on the ground. 1810Scott Lady of L. ii xiv, My dull ears Catch no faltering breeze. 1878Masque Poets 80 The small sweet voices of the night Begin in faltering music to awake. 2. quasi-adv. = falteringly.
a1741T. Chalkley Wks. (1749) 191 He spoke very low and faultering. |