1. Affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm.

2. Occurring in spells and often abruptly.

3. Happening intermittently.

4. Given to sudden outbursts of energy or feeling.

5. Happening now and then. Also: Related to sudden uncontrolled muscle contractions.

6. (Medicine) Of or pertaining to spasm; consisting in spasm; occuring in, or characterized by, spasms; as, a spasmodic asthma.

7. Soon relaxed or exhausted.

1. During the most violent shocks of the Typhoon, the man at the Pequod's jaw-bone tiller had several times been reelingly hurled to the deck by its spasmodic motions, even though preventer tackles had been attached to it --for they were slack -- because some play to the tiller was indispensable.

2. But so far was she from being, in the words of Robert South, "in love with her own ruin," that the illusion was transient as lightning; cold reason came back to mock her spasmodic weakness; the ghastliness of her momentary pride would convict her, and recall her to reserved listlessness again.

3. The pain in my knee was spasmodic so I never knew when I would be able to play a game.

occasional, rare, scarce, uncommon, unusual, sporadic