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arrhythmic

arrhythmic

2 8.2
Not having a regular beat or pattern
  • adjective
  • /ˌærˈrɪðmɪk/
translation icon : arrítmico
  • It closed automatically before he could recover, and briefly shuddered with arrhythmic thumps.
  • arrhythmic heartbeat
  • arrhythmic heart

Examples

  • Insects sawed back and forth in the trees, wild, arrhythmic, an army of elfin woodsmen.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The doctor's examination revealed that his heartbeat was arrhythmic, indicating a potential heart condition.

  • Two weeks before the concert, Mehli's failing heart becomes arrhythmic.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • But through the open bedroom window comes the sound of your father's snoring, arrhythmic and faltering.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • His snoring—raspy, wet, arrhythmic—would lead her to him in the family room, the kitchen, or the minimally furnished, badly cluttered room that was his at-home office.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • A different and more mysterious kind of sound prevailed—a ceaseless churning like a motor turning over, never quite starting; a deeper throbbing like a jazz downbeat, but arrhythmic, irregular.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • During the performance, the percussionist intentionally played in an arrhythmic style to create a sense of tension.

  • After running a marathon, she noticed her breathing had become arrhythmic, making it difficult to catch her breath.

Synonyms

irregular
vsarrhythmic
27 3.5

Happening at no fixed times

focuses specifically on missing a steady beat or timed pattern
arrhythmical
vsarrhythmic
9.3

A sound or movement that has no regular beat

is the shorter modern adjective with the same meaning
unrhythmic
vsarrhythmic
7.9

Having no regular beat so movement or sound feels uneven

emphasizes absence of a steady rhythm in any context
unrhythmical
vsarrhythmic
7.4

Having no steady beat or regular pattern

is the general term for lack of regular pattern or beat
nonrhythmic
vsarrhythmic
7.4

A sound that has no regular beat

can also describe absence of rhythm without implying intent

Antonyms

42 3.6

Having a regular pattern of sounds or movements

How Regular

regular
870 1.0
steady
304 2.0
uneven
42 2.3
irregular
27 3.5
arrhythmic
2 8.2
chaotic
116 4.7

Surface Forms

arrhythmic positive

Morphology

arrhythmic = rhythmic (semi-transparent) = a + rhythm + ic

The meaning is basically 'not rhythmic', but the uncommon classical negative prefix and irregular spelling make the relation less obvious to many learners.

Etymology

Arrhythmic comes from the prefix a- meaning 'not' and the root rhythm meaning 'a regular beat', the same 'rhythm' you hear in music. So arrhythmic means 'without a regular beat', which is why we use it for music, heartbeats, or breathing.