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
Yet intermittent fasting can upset the menstrual cycle, and women lose muscle mass from caloric restriction more rapidly than men.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The article traces the history of battery storage from its acceptance as a potential contributor to a low-carbon grid, playing a role in firming up intermittent resources, to its growing importance in grid stability.
—Llewellyn King, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The surge in the data centers' water use comes as Texas endures prolonged drought, with about a quarter of the state still experiencing dry conditions despite intermittent heavy rain and flooding.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
If so, intermittent fasting will trigger helpful hormonal changes.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The article traces the history of battery storage from its acceptance as a potential contributor to a low-carbon grid, playing a role in firming up intermittent resources, to its growing importance in grid stability.
—Llewellyn King, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The surge in the data centers' water use comes as Texas endures prolonged drought, with about a quarter of the state still experiencing dry conditions despite intermittent heavy rain and flooding.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
If so, intermittent fasting will trigger helpful hormonal changes.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 1 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 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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