as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a night of fitful sleep did not leave me feeling well rested the next morning
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Recent Examples of fitful
Her power would return at 4 a.m., ending the fitful night.
—
Richard Ruelas, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024
By Jack Flemming , Summer Lin, Hannah Fry and Ian James
Jan. 8, 2025 3 PM PT
A dry wind was already stirring when the sun rose over Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, fitful gusts whipping palm fronds seaward and making eucalyptus limbs creek and groan.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Pyongyang began taking fitful steps toward a nuclear weapon during the Cold War, tested its first bomb in 2006, and today regularly issues nuclear threats against its southern neighbor.
—Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Rage, grievance, and fitful dreams of an American autocracy won.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Richard Ruelas, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024
By Jack Flemming , Summer Lin, Hannah Fry and Ian James
Jan. 8, 2025 3 PM PT
A dry wind was already stirring when the sun rose over Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, fitful gusts whipping palm fronds seaward and making eucalyptus limbs creek and groan.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Pyongyang began taking fitful steps toward a nuclear weapon during the Cold War, tested its first bomb in 2006, and today regularly issues nuclear threats against its southern neighbor.
—Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Rage, grievance, and fitful dreams of an American autocracy won.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitful
Adjective
-
It’s been pretty sporadic and erratic with a bunch of them.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
-
In its initial phase, between 1990 and 2005, pirate attacks were sporadic and contained mostly in the Gulf of Aden.—
Soham Mitra, Lou Robinson and Patrick Gallagher,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Winds will increase during the afternoon hours, with occasional gusts to around 15 to 20 mph.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Tom Penn’s empathic drumming and Gabriela García’s occasional ethereal singing provide the soundtrack of French Quarter fear and self-loathing, while Medeleine Girling’s set design consists simply of a wood platform roughly 25 by 25 feet across laying on top of cinderblocks.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
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The intermittent reward of finding something new and interesting does not allow the brain to relax and get ready to sleep.—
Caitlin Pagán,
Verywell Health,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Escaping a sudden, massive flood, a smart, mischievous black cat clambers aboard a boat shared by a dog, a capybara, and a lemur, as well as a long-legged secretary bird.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
2 Mar. 2025
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With a career in music that spanned the late ’70s through her sudden passing, Stone topped both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Adult R&B Airplay charts and was nominated for three Grammy Awards.—
Ashley Iasimone,
Billboard,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the year before she was killed, Mary had called BSO 14 times regarding Nathan’s threats and increasingly erratic behavior, according to a log of BSO calls that the Herald reviewed.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
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And as it’s been for most of the last few weeks, the market’s slide on Tuesday was erratic and dizzying.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitful. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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