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
Modern economies, critics argued, cannot run on intermittent power.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
And then there weren’t enough air traffic controllers, so there were these intermittent closures of airports.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 May 2026
The study also concluded that limiting the frequency of large meals was a more productive weight loss strategy than time-restricted eating (like intermittent fasting).
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 19 May 2026
Mary pushed her husband, a circuit-riding lawyer, deeper into a political life that would be marked by intermittent success and more frequent failure.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
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Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
And then there weren’t enough air traffic controllers, so there were these intermittent closures of airports.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 May 2026
The study also concluded that limiting the frequency of large meals was a more productive weight loss strategy than time-restricted eating (like intermittent fasting).
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 19 May 2026
Mary pushed her husband, a circuit-riding lawyer, deeper into a political life that would be marked by intermittent success and more frequent failure.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
Cite this Entry
“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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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