WALL STREET stocks slid yesterday, giving back part of last week's rally as a Federal Reserve official stirred up inflation worries during what had been a lifeless session.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 43.34 points to close at 6,660.21, bouncing back over the final minutes from an 86-point slide. The index of 30 big companies added 310 points last week, recovering nearly half of the 700 points it lost over the prior month.

Broader measures also turned sharply lower in the afternoon after Alice Rivlin, vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, heightened fears the central bank will raise interest rates repeatedly to fight inflation with a warning that persistent strength in consumer demand could aggravate inflationary pressures in American factories.

Declines outnumbered advances by a 9-to-5 margin on the exchange.