fitful

adjective

fit·ful ˈfit-fəl

Synonyms of fitful next

obsolete : characterized by fits or paroxysms

: having an erratic or intermittent character : irregular

fitfully

ˈfit-fə-lē

adverb

fitfulness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for fitful

fitful, spasmodic, convulsive mean lacking steadiness or regularity in movement.

fitful implies intermittence, a succession of starts and stops or risings and fallings.

fitful sleep

spasmodic adds to fitful the implication of rapid or violent activity alternating with inactivity.

spasmodic growth

convulsive suggests the breaking of regularity or quiet by uncontrolled movement.

convulsive shocks

Examples of fitful in a Sentence

He had a few fitful hours of sleep. Several fitful attempts at negotiation have failed.

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.

The window was usually propped open, and, when the music was off, the buzz of distant traffic and a fitful breeze entered. —

Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024 Experimentation is generally a slow and fitful process. —

Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2024 Walkers never have to lug their own suitcases or spend a fitful night on the cold, hard ground. —

Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024 Nothing illustrates the point better than the Trump administration’s fitful, scattered, and incremental response to the COVID-19 crisis. —

James B. Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020 See all Example Sentences for fitful