inconsistently
/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstəntli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪnkənˈsɪstəntli/ (ame, ipa)
inconsistently — adverb
1. describes an action or behaviour whose level, quality, or pattern keeps changing
describes an action or behaviour whose level, quality, or pattern keeps changing instead of staying steady from one time to the next.
Hana played inconsistently in the chess tournament, winning brilliantly one round and losing the next.
verb + inconsistently for uneven performance
The new parking rules were enforced inconsistently; some drivers got fines and others were ignored.
passive: be enforced inconsistently for unfair application
Asher answers the office phone inconsistently, sometimes within seconds and sometimes letting it ring forever.
Elena's homework was marked inconsistently by different teachers, which made the final grade feel unfair.
The old printer feeds paper inconsistently, jamming three times out of ten.
- erratically
stronger; suggests unpredictable swings, often negative
- unevenly
neutral; emphasises differences in amount or distribution
- patchily
informal; covering some parts well and others poorly
- irregularly
focuses on broken timing or pattern rather than quality
- consistently
the direct opposite — steadily and the same way each time
- uniformly
more formal; in the same way across every case
- steadily
without sudden changes in level or quality
文法句型
verb + inconsistently
applied/enforced/treated inconsistently
用法筆記
Frequently modifies verbs of performance, judgement, or rule application (play, perform, enforce, apply, mark, treat). Subject is typically a person, group, or system whose behaviour varies over time rather than across contradictory facts.