intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌin-tər-ˈmi-tᵊnt 
1
: coming and going at intervals : not continuous
intermittent rain
2
of a stream or body of water
: appearing and disappearing seasonally : sometimes dry
intermittently
adverb
raining intermittently
Examples of intermittent in a Sentence
In the intermittent light he could make out the shape of a solitary oak tree, spreading great arms from its short tremendous trunk.
—
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, (1973) 1999
Decades of intermittent but recurring controversies with imperial authorities, and the lodestar of the glorious Revolution, disposed Americans to continue to believe that representation existed, first and foremost, to protect the rights of their communities against the abuse of executive power.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996
Bronchodilators continue to play an important role in asthma treatment, especially for people who have relatively mild or intermittent attacks.
—Stephen Hoffmann, Harvard Medical School Health Letter, June 1991
The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.
The forecast is for intermittent rain.
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, (1973) 1999
Decades of intermittent but recurring controversies with imperial authorities, and the lodestar of the glorious Revolution, disposed Americans to continue to believe that representation existed, first and foremost, to protect the rights of their communities against the abuse of executive power.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996
Bronchodilators continue to play an important role in asthma treatment, especially for people who have relatively mild or intermittent attacks.
—Stephen Hoffmann, Harvard Medical School Health Letter, June 1991
The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.
The forecast is for intermittent rain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Based on the research, participants lost about 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks while intermittent fasting.18
Remember, fad diets are not healthy for you, especially long term.
—Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2025
The pair are searching for the source of a particular beep: the intermittent ping that a smoke alarm makes when its battery is running low.
—Kirk Johnson, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
This is particularly important for edge use cases where edge site connectivity may be intermittent or unreliable and business-critical applications must provide uninterrupted service.
—Carl Moberg, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Best Vintages from the Rhône Valley Despite an erratic growing season that saw a cool spring, intermittent summer hail in some areas, and soaring temperatures in August, 2023 turned out to be a good vintage for reds and an excellent vintage for whites.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
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Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2025
The pair are searching for the source of a particular beep: the intermittent ping that a smoke alarm makes when its battery is running low.
—Kirk Johnson, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
This is particularly important for edge use cases where edge site connectivity may be intermittent or unreliable and business-critical applications must provide uninterrupted service.
—Carl Moberg, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Best Vintages from the Rhône Valley Despite an erratic growing season that saw a cool spring, intermittent summer hail in some areas, and soaring temperatures in August, 2023 turned out to be a good vintage for reds and an excellent vintage for whites.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
Cite this Entry
“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌint-ər-ˈmit-ᵊnt
: starting, stopping, and starting again
an intermittent fever
intermittently
adverb
Medical Definition
intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌint-ər-ˈmit-ᵊnt
: coming and going at intervals : not continuous
intermittent fever
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