Spasmodic
/spæzˈmɑ.dɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A medicine for suppressing spasms.
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
- 2 Convulsive; consisting of spasms.
"spasmodic asthma"
- 3 Intermittent or fitful; occurring in abrupt bursts.
"spasmodic zeal or industry"
- 4 Erratic or unsustained.
- 5 Of or relating to the spasmodic poets, a group of British Victorian poets who wrote introspective drama in verse.
Adjective
- 1 occurring in spells and often abruptly wordnet
- 2 affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Dorothea darted instantaneously from the window; Will followed her, seizing her hand with a spasmodic movement; and so they stood, with their hands clasped, like two children, looking out on the storm, while the thunder gave a tremendous crack and roll above them, and the rain began to pour down."
Etymology
From New Latin spasmōdicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης (spasmṓdēs, “spasmodic”), from σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm”).