fluttering

1 of 2

noun

flut·​ter·​ing ˈflə-tər-iŋ How to pronounce fluttering (audio)
plural flutterings
Synonyms of flutteringnext
: a quick wavering or flapping movement or sensation
felt a fluttering in his stomach
That's about as small as the perturbation of air produced by the fluttering of a butterfly's wings …—Gary Taubes

fluttering

2 of 2

present participle of flutter entry 1

Examples of fluttering in a Sentence

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.
Noun
Why can’t the body content itself with stillness, leavened, perhaps, by the fluttering of fingers over a keyboard or the occasional arcing turn of a page? — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 The hot and dusty city streets were bathed in decorative green light to celebrate National Day, as hundreds of electronic billboards projected the sword and script of the Saudi flag, shown fluttering as if caught in a breeze. — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 This photograph shows a Ukrainian flag fluttering as smoke rises from a warehouse following an air attack in the Kyiv region on August 27, 2026. — Sam Meredith,anniek Bao, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Scratching, chirping and fluttering in the walls of bats living there. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fluttering

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fluttering was in the 14th century

Rhymes for fluttering

See All Rhymes for fluttering

Browse Nearby Words

flutterer
fluttering
flutteringly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fluttering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluttering. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fluttering

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fluttering

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All