1
obsolete
: characterized by fits or paroxysms
2
: having an erratic or intermittent character : irregular
fitfulness
noun
Examples of fitful in a Sentence
He had a few fitful hours of sleep.
Several fitful attempts at negotiation have failed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Beyond the results and the outcome, given what this team has dealt with and the noise and fitful transformation that was foisted upon the organization as a result of broken internal dynamics earlier this year, it’s been a welcome development to simply watch the Canucks compete as a team again.
—
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In the twentieth century, the Soviet Union viewed China—at least until the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s—as a poorer cousin, a country to be steered and helped along in its fitful progress toward respectability.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Aug. 2022
These factors occur against the backdrop of fitful wage growth and climbing inflation, with everyday prices for housing, energy and groceries bedeviling Americans.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
The subway’s recovery from the pandemic has been fitful, a tale of stops and starts.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fitful
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Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In the twentieth century, the Soviet Union viewed China—at least until the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s—as a poorer cousin, a country to be steered and helped along in its fitful progress toward respectability.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Aug. 2022
These factors occur against the backdrop of fitful wage growth and climbing inflation, with everyday prices for housing, energy and groceries bedeviling Americans.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
The subway’s recovery from the pandemic has been fitful, a tale of stops and starts.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fitful. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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