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
So, too, the hold Catholicism has on him, still (with intermittent lapses).
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Sheriff’s officials said in a Tuesday evening Facebook post that there is a 75% chance of more rain Wednesday, including mostly intermittent heavy thunderstorms with the potential for winds of up to 50 mph and quarter-inch hail.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
That Stevenson had proposed a new method of producing intermittent light in lighthouses.
—Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
But in Pakistan’s Kurram area, intermittent gunfire continued, according to local officials and residents.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Sheriff’s officials said in a Tuesday evening Facebook post that there is a 75% chance of more rain Wednesday, including mostly intermittent heavy thunderstorms with the potential for winds of up to 50 mph and quarter-inch hail.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
That Stevenson had proposed a new method of producing intermittent light in lighthouses.
—Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
But in Pakistan’s Kurram area, intermittent gunfire continued, according to local officials and residents.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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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