arrhythmic

adjective

ar·​rhyth·​mic ā-ˈrit͟h-mik How to pronounce arrhythmic (audio)
1
: lacking rhythm or regularity
To assist my arrhythmic descents I'd been swinging my arms and shoulders too wildly.Kenny Moore
The conductor-less orchestra pit produces arrhythmic and atonal sounds …Josef Woodard
2
: of, relating to, characterized by, or resulting from arrhythmia
… less than 10 percent of untreated patients develop cardiac problems such as heart block, with its resultant arrhythmic heartbeatThomas J. Daniels and Richard C. Falco

Examples of arrhythmic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web A number of different conditions can lead to cardiac arrest: arrhythmic causes [relating to an irregular heartbeat], arterial causes [when the arteries can’t provide enough blood to the heart], heart muscle causes. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023 Good luck finding a more consistently reliable part in this misfiring team – Anthony Rizzo, maybe – than Cole, every fifth day, striking out 9.8 batters per nine innings and restoring order to an arrhythmic pitching staff. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 29 June 2023 The authors concluded the volunteers had benign cardiac responses, but people with underlying heart conditions were at risk for arrhythmic episodes. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2023 In 2021, with pitchers coming off a truncated and arrhythmic 2020 season, a wide casting call was all the more important. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2021 During the initial incline, one person had an arrhythmic episode that resolved on its own. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2023 Among the pieces on display are a collection of neon grills shaped like theatrical backdrops and inspired by Frank Stella’s genre-defining Black Paintings series; the neon tubes’ arrhythmic throbbing and the perspectival latticing of light upon light is hypnotic and disorientating. Erik Morse, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2023 Commotio cordis is one example, which is the sudden arrhythmic death caused by a low/mild chest wall impact. Dallas News, 24 Jan. 2023 On land the breathing pattern was regular during quiet sleep (most pauses were <30s) and arrhythmic in REM sleep (apneas lasted up to 160 s). Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2011

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arrhythmic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek árrhythmos "lacking rhythm, unrhythmical" (from a- a- entry 2 + -rrhythmos, adjective derivative of rhythmós rhythm) + -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arrhythmic was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near arrhythmic

Cite this Entry

“Arrhythmic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrhythmic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

arrhythmic

adjective
ar·​rhyth·​mic -mik How to pronounce arrhythmic (audio)
1
: lacking rhythm or regularity
arrhythmic locomotor activity
2
: of, relating to, characterized by, or resulting from arrhythmia
arrhythmic risk
arrhythmic death

More from Merriam-Webster on arrhythmic

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