spasmodically

Word family

• spasm
  nounB2
• spasmodic
  adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Spasmodically, intermittently, fitfully, irregularly, and off and on all describe something that does not happen in a steady, continuous way — but they differ in connotation and register. Spasmodically carries a stronger sense of sudden, jerky breaks, as if the activity is being interrupted by an involuntary force; it is the most vivid and least common of the group. Intermittently is the most neutral and widely used — it simply means stopping and starting at unpredictable times, without any suggestion of violence or medical cause (e.g., 'the bus service runs intermittently on weekends'). Fitfully is more literary and often describes sleep, breathing, or effort that starts and stops with difficulty ('she slept fitfully through the storm'). Irregularly is the most general term, covering any pattern without fixed timing, not necessarily with pauses ('he visited irregularly, sometimes twice a week, sometimes not for a month'). Off and on is the most informal, fitting everyday conversation ('the printer works off and on'). For academic or formal writing, intermittently is the safest choice; for a more dramatic or medical tone, spasmodically adds colour.

Common collocations

Etymology

Spasmodically comes from the Greek word spasma, meaning 'a pulling or drawing' (related to spān, 'to pull'). This passed into Late Latin as spasmodicus, then into English as spasmodic (the adjective) in the 1600s, originally used only in medical contexts to describe muscle contractions. The adverb form spasmodically appeared in the 1700s. By the 1800s, writers had extended the meaning beyond medicine to describe anything that happens in sudden, irregular bursts — like a spasm of activity, laughter, or emotion.