spasmodic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /spæzˈmɑ.dɪk/ (US)
- (Australia) audio
- /spæzˈmɒd.ɪk/ (UK)
Etymology
From New Latin spasmōdicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης (spasmṓdēs, “spasmodic”), from σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm”).
Meanings
- Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
-
Convulsive; consisting of spasms.
Kennedy’s vocal rasp is not caused by an infection or respiratory condition. Instead, he has spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological condition in which the muscles that open and close his vocal cords spasm involuntarily, creating a strained or strangled quality to his speech.
2025 January 29, Sandee LaMotte, “A rare brain disorder robbed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of his strong speaking voice”, in CNN:[…] Dr. Francis Fuller, […] upon wearing a Quick-ſilver Girdle, for the Cure of the Itch, (and that after an inconſiderate and raſh manner) was brought under a violent Spaſmodick Diſtemper, which was ſupposed by himſelf and others to be owing to ſome Mercurial Particles lodg'd in ſome excretory Ducts of the Brain.
1734, T[homas] K[night], A Critical Dissertation upon the Manner of the Preparation of Mercurial Medicines, and Their Operation on Human Bodies; particularly Those Most in Fashion: […], London: Printed for Harmen Noorthouck […], →OCLC, page 52:spasmodic asthma
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Intermittent or fitful; occurring in abrupt bursts.
spasmodic zeal or industry
The chin was heavy, the nostrils were low and wide, and the lower lip hung loosely except in his moments of spasmodic earnestness, when it shut like a steel trap.
1900 April, Willa Cather, “Eric Hermannson's Soul”, in Cosmopolitan:
- Erratic or unsustained.
- Of or relating to the spasmodic poets, a group of British Victorian poets who wrote introspective drama in verse.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most spasmodic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more spasmodic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
nonspasmodic · spasmodist · postspasmodic · spasmodism · spasmodically · spasmodicness · spasmodicity
Relateds
Synonyms
stop-start · stop-start · spasmodic · discontinuous · fitful · patchy · ragged · intermittent · intermissive · catchy · broken · patchy
Translations (23)
pl skurczowy (of or relating to a spasm) · ru спазмоподо́бный (of or relating to a spasm) · mi taratahi (intermittent or fitful; occurring in short bursts) · it spasmodico (of or relating to a spasm) · ca espasmòdic (of or relating to a spasm) · fr spasmodique (of or relating to a spasm) · ru спазмати́ческий (of or relating to a spasm) · es espasmódico (of or relating to a spasm) · ru нерегулярный (erratic or unsustained) · mi tāmutumutu (intermittent or fitful; occurring in short bursts) · mi kōhikohiko (intermittent or fitful; occurring in short bursts) · pl spazmatyczny (of or relating to a spasm) · it spasmodico (convulsive; consisting of spasms) · pl nieregularny (erratic or unsustained) · pl przerywany (intermittent or fitful; occurring in short bursts) · ca espasmòdic (convulsive; consisting of spasms) · bg спазматичен (of or relating to a spasm) · es espasmódico (convulsive; consisting of spasms) · ru конвульсивный (convulsive; consisting of spasms) · ru прерывистый (intermittent or fitful; occurring in short bursts) · mi kauteatea (intermittent or fitful; occurring in short bursts) · pl konwulsyjny (convulsive; consisting of spasms) · bg конвулсивен (convulsive; consisting of spasms)