spasmodically
spasmodically — 副詞
1. happening for short periods at irregular times, with pauses in between, rather t
間歇地
斷斷續續、不規律地
happening for short periods at irregular times, with pauses in between, rather than in a steady or continuous way — used for actions, events, or patterns that occur fitfully
Reuben checked his phone spasmodically through the meeting, hoping for news from the hospital.
Reuben 在會議中斷斷續續地查看手機，盼望醫院傳來消息。
spasmodically + checked (interrupted action)
The old heater worked only spasmodically, sometimes blasting heat and then going cold for hours.
老舊的暖氣只能間歇性地運作，有時吹出熱風，接著又冷了好幾小時。
After the injury, Paloma ran spasmodically during practice, stopping whenever her knee started to hurt.
受傷後，Paloma 在練習中斷斷續續地跑步，每當膝蓋開始痛就停下來。
spasmodically + ran (stop-start pattern)
Applause came spasmodically from the small audience, with long silences between short claps.
觀眾席傳來間歇的掌聲，短暫的拍手之間夾雜著長時間的沉默。
The WiFi signal in the cabin cut in and out spasmodically, making video calls impossible.
小木屋的 WiFi 訊號斷斷續續，讓視訊通話根本無法進行。
spasmodically modifies: cut in and out
- spasmodically + verb of action (check, run, work, come, appear)
- spasmodically + verb of change (cut in and out, flicker)
- fitfully
more literary; often suggests sleep, breathing, or effort that starts and stops
- intermittently
more neutral and common; does not suggest an underlying medical or violent cause
- irregularly
broader; can refer to any pattern without fixed timing, not necessarily with pauses
- steadily
implies continuous, even motion or rate
- continuously
implies no breaks at all
2. describing an action or movement caused by a muscle or set of muscles suddenly t
痙攣地
肌肉不自主收縮地
describing an action or movement caused by a muscle or set of muscles suddenly tightening against the person's control, usually because of injury, illness, or medical treatment
Apinya's leg jerked spasmodically under the desk, a side effect of her new medication.
Apinya 的腿在桌子底下痙攣地抽動，這是她新藥物的副作用。
spasmodically + jerked (involuntary muscle movement)
The patient's hand twitched spasmodically as the doctor tested the nerve reflexes in his arm.
病人的手在醫生測試他手臂神經反射時痙攣地抽動了一下。
Yumi's eyelids blinked spasmodically for several minutes after she stared at the bright screen.
Yumi 盯著太亮的螢幕看了太久後，眼皮痙攣地眨了好幾分鐘。
body part + verb + spasmodically
Kian's shoulder muscles contracted spasmodically after he carried the heavy boxes up the stairs.
Kian 搬著重箱子上了樓梯後，肩膀肌肉痙攣地收縮起來。
- body part + verb + spasmodically (leg jerked, hand twitched, eyelid blinked)
- spasmodically + contract / twitch / jerk
- convulsively
stronger; suggests whole-body shaking rather than a single muscle group
- jerkily
more general; can describe voluntary movement that happens to be unsteady
- smoothly
implies fluid, controlled motion without jerks
用法筆記
Subject is usually a body part (leg, hand, eyelid, muscle) or the person whose muscles are affected. This sense is common in medical reporting and patient descriptions.
常見錯誤
3. with sudden, sharp bursts of force or violence — describing physical actions or
猛烈地
突然劇烈地（如痙攣般）
with sudden, sharp bursts of force or violence — describing physical actions or events that happen in violent jolts, emphasising the forceful quality of the movement rather than its timing or regularity
The wind slammed the garden gate spasmodically against the fence during the storm.
暴風雨中，風猛烈地將花園門砰地吹撞到籬笆上。
spasmodically + slammed (forceful burst)
Kwame punched the heavy bag spasmodically during training, each blow landing with a sharp thud.
Kwame 在訓練中猛烈地重擊沙包，每一拳都發出沉悶的撞擊聲。
spasmodically + punched (violent physical action)
The old table shook spasmodically each time a heavy truck passed on the road outside.
每當重型卡車從外面路上駛過，那張舊桌子就會猛烈地晃動。
spasmodically + shook / shuddered (physical force)
Maeve coughed spasmodically on the bus — sudden, violent bursts that startled nearby passengers.
Maeve 在進城的公車上猛烈地咳了起來，突發的劇烈咳嗽讓其他乘客嚇了一跳。
The car engine shuddered spasmodically before going silent on the empty highway at midnight.
深夜在空無一人的高速公路上，汽車引擎猛烈地顫抖了幾下，然後陷入沉寂。
spasmodically + shuddered (mechanical force)
- spasmodically + verb of force (slam, kick, shake, shudder, cough, burst)
- spasmodically + verb of mechanical action (rattle, shudder, jerk)
- violently
more general; does not carry the stop-start implication of spasmodically
- explosively
implies a louder, more destructive burst; stronger in register
- convulsively
overlaps, but more often used for human or animal reactions rather than objects
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (MUSCLE SPASM), this sense does NOT require a medical context. The sudden force is compared to a spasm metaphorically. Subject is usually an inanimate thing (wind, engine, table) or a person performing a forceful action (cough, kick, slam).
4. in a way that shows sudden, unpredictable bursts of emotion — describing how som
情緒激動地
情緒反應強烈多變地
in a way that shows sudden, unpredictable bursts of emotion — describing how someone reacts or behaves with quickly shifting feelings, focusing on temperament and emotional intensity rather than on how often something occurs
Sade laughed spasmodically at small jokes, often surprising people who had just met her.
Sade 連對最微不足道的笑話也會激動地笑出來，常常讓初次認識她的人感到驚訝。
laughed spasmodically (emotional burst)
The audience responded spasmodically — cheering loudly one moment and falling silent the next.
觀眾的情緒反應忽起忽落——一會兒熱烈歡呼，下一刻又陷入沉寂。
Padma's mood swung spasmodically between excitement and frustration throughout the project.
Padma 在整個專案期間，情緒在興奮與沮喪之間激烈地來回擺盪。
mood + swung spasmodically (emotion pattern)
His temper flared up spasmodically over tiny problems, then disappeared just as quickly.
他的脾氣常常因為小問題就一陣一陣地突然爆發，然後又迅速消失得無影無蹤。
The child reacted spasmodically to every new sound, giggling and then crying within seconds.
那個孩子對每一個新聲音都反應激動，幾秒鐘內又笑又哭。
reacted spasmodically (volatile emotion)
- verb of emotion + spasmodically (laugh, respond, react, swing, flare up)
- spasmodically + verb of mood change (swing, shift, alternate)
- impulsively
implies acting without thinking first, not necessarily strong emotion
- erratically
broader; can describe any kind of unpredictable behaviour, not just emotional
- volatilely
stronger; suggests unpredictability that can be intense or disruptive
用法筆記
This sense describes temperament, not time patterns — distinguish from sense 1 (IRREGULAR OCCURRENCE), which is about temporal irregularity, and sense 3 (SUDDEN VIOLENCE), which is about physical force. Subject is always a person or a group of people. Frequently used with verbs of emotional expression: laugh, respond, react, swing, flare up.
常見錯誤
同根字
常見搭配
常用片語
- spasmodically + verb (check spasmodically, work spasmodically, occur spasmodically)
- verb of emotion + spasmodically (laugh spasmodically, respond spasmodically, react spasmodically)
- spasmodically + verb of force (slam spasmodically, shake spasmodically, shudder spasmodically)