Synonyms of fitful

fitful

adjective

ˈfit-fəl 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sporadic
• occasional
• intermittent
• sudden
• erratic
• unpredictable
• violent
• irregular
• unsteady
• spasmodic
• discontinuous
• casual
• spastic
• episodic
• spotty
• aperiodic
• volatile
• choppy
• convulsive
• fragmentary
• random
• catchy
• haphazard
• scattered
• changeful
• aimless
• uncertain
• interrupted
• desultory
• varying
• broken
• changing
• unsettled
• unstable
• capricious
• inconstant
• arbitrary
• odd
• stray
• slapdash
• mercurial
• disconnected
• hit-and-miss
• hit-or-miss
• fluctuating
• variable
• mutable
• temperamental
• fickle
• wavering
• changeable
• flickery
• fluid

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuous
• constant
• steady
• periodic
• regular
• habitual
• repeated
• stable
• uniform
• even
• stationary
• systematic
• equable
• unchanging
• orderly
• methodical
• changeless
• unvarying
• unrelenting
• unremitting
• unwavering

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fitful contrast with its synonyms?

The words convulsive and spasmodic are common synonyms of fitful. While all three words mean "lacking steadiness or regularity in movement," fitful implies intermittence, a succession of starts and stops or risings and fallings.

fitful sleep

Where would convulsive be a reasonable alternative to fitful?

Although the words convulsive and fitful have much in common, convulsive suggests the breaking of regularity or quiet by uncontrolled movement.

convulsive shocks

How do spasmodic and fitful relate to one another?

Spasmodic adds to fitful the implication of rapid or violent activity alternating with inactivity.

spasmodic growth

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fitful

That fitful sleep may lack the restorative qualities necessary for recovery. —Danielle Wilhour, The Conversation, 5 May 2026

These are also machine washable, meaning despite coffee spills and the general wear and tear of a fitful sleeper, these can be properly cleaned in the wash. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Apr. 2026

From the beginning, Rolling Stone had a fitful relationship with the counterculture that birthed it, Richardson reports. —James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026

The composer John Kander blamed Minnelli’s fitful acting career on the appetites of her fan base. —Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026