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
Chatbots trained with reinforcement learning have mastered the art of intermittent delight.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
When done properly, intermittent fasting can lead to improvements in blood sugar.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 26 Nov. 2025
The problem has become urgent because many countries have pledged to triple their nuclear capacity by 2050 to provide reliable zero-carbon energy to smooth intermittent renewable output.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 24 Nov. 2025
South of Interstate 70, showers will be more intermittent, with showers increasing in frequency throughout the afternoon and evening.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
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Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
When done properly, intermittent fasting can lead to improvements in blood sugar.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 26 Nov. 2025
The problem has become urgent because many countries have pledged to triple their nuclear capacity by 2050 to provide reliable zero-carbon energy to smooth intermittent renewable output.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 24 Nov. 2025
South of Interstate 70, showers will be more intermittent, with showers increasing in frequency throughout the afternoon and evening.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Nov. 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 6 Dec. 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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