fitful

/ˈfɪtfl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪtfl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfit-fəl/ (ame, mw)

fitful — adjective

  • fitfulpositive
  • more fitfulcomparative
  • most fitfulsuperlative

1. happening in brief uneven bursts, with gaps before it begins again.

1.形容詞C1
釋義

happening in brief uneven bursts, with gaps before it begins again.

例句

After the long bus ride, Reuben fell into a fitful sleep.

fitful sleep for broken sleep with repeated waking

Fitful rain tapped the tent roof, then faded before sunrise.

fitful rain for weather that comes in short spells

同義詞
  • intermittent

    more neutral and often used for technical or formal descriptions

  • irregular

    broader and does not always imply repeated stopping and starting

  • broken

    often used for sleep, speech, or lines of movement, with a slightly more physical feel

反義詞
  • steady

    emphasises smooth continuation without repeated breaks

  • continuous

    focuses on something going on without stopping at all

文法句型

fitful + noun

fitful sleep

fitful rain

fitful breathing

用法筆記

Most often used before nouns like sleep, rain, breathing, effort, or signal. It points to something that comes and goes in uneven bursts, not something that is merely weak, quiet, or slow.

常見錯誤

❌The team made fitful progress every day this month.
✅The team made steady progress every day this month.
💡'fitful' suggests repeated pauses and uneven continuation, not regular day-by-day improvement.