1
obsolete
: characterized by fits or paroxysms
2
: having an erratic or intermittent character : irregular
fitfulness
noun
Synonyms
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
Experimentation is generally a slow and fitful process.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2024
Walkers never have to lug their own suitcases or spend a fitful night on the cold, hard ground.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024
Nothing illustrates the point better than the Trump administration’s fitful, scattered, and incremental response to the COVID-19 crisis.
—James B. Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
What sets whooping cough apart from other respiratory illness are the prolonged and fitful coughs, which last at least three weeks and can persist for many months, Nolt said.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fitful 
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Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2024
Walkers never have to lug their own suitcases or spend a fitful night on the cold, hard ground.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024
Nothing illustrates the point better than the Trump administration’s fitful, scattered, and incremental response to the COVID-19 crisis.
—James B. Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
What sets whooping cough apart from other respiratory illness are the prolonged and fitful coughs, which last at least three weeks and can persist for many months, Nolt said.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fitful
Dictionary Entries Near fitful
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fitful. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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