English Meaning & Definitions
In a sudden, irregular, or convulsive manner; occurring in fitful, intermittent bursts rather than continuously.
- “The old engine sputtered spasmodically before finally dying altogether.”
- “She worked spasmodically on her novel, writing thousands of words in a single night and then not touching it for weeks.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “spasmodically”.
Derived from the adjective 'spasmodic' combined with the adverbial suffix '-ally'. 'Spasmodic' originates from the New Latin 'spasmodicus', which comes from the Greek 'spasmodes' (convulsive), from 'spasmos' (a spasm or convulsion, literally 'a drawing or pulling' from 'span', meaning 'to draw, pull, or tear'). It entered English in the late 17th century to describe physical convulsions, later broadening to describe irregular, fitful actions.
Think of a 'spasm'—a sudden, uncontrollable muscle jerk. Doing something 'spasmodically' means doing it in sudden, irregular jerks or bursts rather than in a smooth, continuous flow.
Frequently Asked Questions About “spasmodically”
1. What is the meaning of “spasmodically” in English?
In English, spasmodically (adverb) is defined as: “In a sudden, irregular, or convulsive manner; occurring in fitful, intermittent bursts rather than continuously.”.
2. How do you use “spasmodically” in a sentence?
“The old engine sputtered spasmodically before finally dying altogether.”
3. What are English synonyms of “spasmodically”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “spasmodically”?
Derived from the adjective 'spasmodic' combined with the adverbial suffix '-ally'. 'Spasmodic' originates from the New Latin 'spasmodicus', which comes from the Greek 'spasmodes' (convulsive), from 'spasmos' (a spasm or convulsion, literally 'a drawing or pulling' from 'span', meaning 'to draw, pull, or tear'). It entered English in the late 17th century to describe physical convulsions, later broadening to describe irregular, fitful actions.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.