Definition

1. Adverb:
   • In a spasmodic manner; with or as if with sudden, involuntary, irregular bursts of activity or energy. Characterized by or subject to spasms; occurring in brief, irregular, and often violent bursts rather than in a steady, continuous flow.

Usage

• This adverb describes an action that happens not smoothly or consistently, but in sudden, jerky, or fitful starts and stops.
• It is often used to describe physical movements, processes, or patterns of activity that are irregular and uncontrolled.

Examples

• The old car engine coughed spasmodically before finally starting.
• He worked spasmodically on the novel, sometimes writing for days and then not touching it for months.
• Her shoulder twitched spasmodically due to the nerve condition.
• Funding for the project arrived spasmodically, making long-term planning difficult.

Advanced Usage

• "to occur spasmodically": to happen in irregular, unpredictable intervals.
  • Protests flared up spasmodically throughout the year.
• "to function spasmodically": to operate in an intermittent and unreliable manner.
  • The network connection has been working spasmodically all afternoon.

Variants and Related Words

• Spasmodic (adj): relating to or affected by spasms; occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts.
  • He made spasmodic attempts to clean his room.
• Spasm (n): a sudden, involuntary muscular contraction; a sudden burst of activity, emotion, or energy.
  • A muscle spasm in his leg forced him to stop running.

Synonyms

• Intermittently: at irregular intervals; not continuously or steadily.
• Fitfully: in an irregular or unsteady way; marked by intermittent activity.
• Erratically: in an unpredictable, irregular, or inconsistent manner.
• Jerklly: with sudden, sharp movements.

Antonyms

• Continuously: without interruption; in an unbroken sequence.
• Steadily: in a regular, even, and uninterrupted manner.
• Constantly: continuously over a period of time; always.
• Smoothly: in a smooth, even, and uninterrupted way.

Related Phrases

• In fits and starts: with irregular bursts of activity followed by periods of inactivity.
  • The project progressed in fits and starts.
• By fits and spurts: synonym for "in fits and starts"; occurring intermittently.
  • The economy recovered by fits and spurts.

Adverb

1. in spurts and fits
   • I began to write intermittently and spasmodically
2. with spasms
   • the mouth was slightly open, and jerked violently and spasmodically at one corner