What does "fitfully" mean?

In a fitful manner; irregularly or unsteadily.

Fitfully

Q: What is a synonym for "fitfully"?

Common synonyms include: at haphazard, at intervals, at irregular intervals, at random, brokenly, by catches.

adv

adv ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb

1
In a fitful manner; irregularly or unsteadily.
"He slept fitfully, plagued by bad dreams and a persistent cough."

Adverb

1
in a fitful manner wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

at haphazard at intervals at irregular intervals at random brokenly by catches

Antonyms

All antonyms

tight

Example

More examples

"On the shore dimly seen, thro’ the mists of the deep, where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, what is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, as it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?"

Etymology

From fitful + -ly.

More for "fitfully"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.