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
The five-time All-Star reportedly committed to a gluten-free, low-sugar diet that was founded upon intermittent fasting and consuming at least 250 grams of protein daily.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 28 July 2025
Grid-scale batteries to store renewable energy—an important means of making the intermittent energy supply from sun and wind match times of energy demand—were scarce in 2015.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
As Chinese cities went into intermittent lockdowns for three years, going to a grocery store was often impossible, and tech firms seized the chance to digitize and monopolize more everyday activities.
—Zeyi Yang, Wired News, 21 July 2025
Some of the most frustrating issues for both the customer and the repair technician are intermittent problems.
—John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
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Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 28 July 2025
Grid-scale batteries to store renewable energy—an important means of making the intermittent energy supply from sun and wind match times of energy demand—were scarce in 2015.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
As Chinese cities went into intermittent lockdowns for three years, going to a grocery store was often impossible, and tech firms seized the chance to digitize and monopolize more everyday activities.
—Zeyi Yang, Wired News, 21 July 2025
Some of the most frustrating issues for both the customer and the repair technician are intermittent problems.
—John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 20 July 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 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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