Pronunciation: /ˈspʌtərɪŋ/
noun the act of making a series of soft explosive or spitting sounds
A1 The car's engine was sputtering.
A2 The old generator was sputtering and struggling to stay on.
B1 The sputtering of the coffee machine indicated it needed maintenance.
B2 The sputtering of the faulty pipe could be heard throughout the house.
C1 The sputtering of the engine was a sign of impending mechanical failure.
C2 The sputtering of the spacecraft's thrusters caused concern among the crew.
verb to make a series of soft explosive or spitting sounds
A1 The old car was sputtering as it struggled to start.
A2 The faulty engine was sputtering and making strange noises.
B1 The motorcycle sputtered to a stop as the fuel ran out.
B2 The old generator sputtered to life after several attempts.
C1 The airplane engine sputtered briefly before roaring to life.
C2 The antique car sputtered as it struggled to climb the steep hill.
adjective making a series of soft explosive or spitting sounds
A1 The old car was sputtering down the road.
A2 The sputtering engine finally gave out and stopped working.
B1 The sputtering sound coming from the machine indicated a problem.
B2 The sputtering flames of the campfire cast a warm glow on the faces of the campers.
C1 The sputtering economy showed signs of recovery after months of decline.
C2 The sputtering engine of the plane caused concern among the passengers.
formal The engineer noticed that the sputtering sound coming from the machine indicated a potential issue with the motor.
informal I could hear the sputtering noise from my car as I tried to start it this morning.
slang The old motorcycle was sputtering like crazy until I gave it a good kick.
figurative The team's performance was sputtering in the first half, but they managed to pick up the pace in the second.
sputtered
sputterers
more sputtering
most sputtering
sputters
will sputter
have sputtered
is sputtering
sputter
sputtering
to sputter
sputtering
sputtering