discontinuous

adjective

ˌdis-kən-ˈtin-yə-wəs How to pronounce discontinuous (audio)
Definition of discontinuousnext
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence the novel captures the discontinuous nature of a soldier's life: long stretches of boredom interrupted by flashes of action

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discontinuous This eerie sensation is further enhanced by elliptical editing that seamlessly skips back and forth in time across the span of just a few days, creating a sense of fluidity across what should feel discontinuous. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026 Each take has this in and out that sounds discontinuous. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025 When reinforced with discontinuous fibers, vitrimers, a class of plastic, can be reshaped repeatedly, crushed, and molded into new forms many times without their chemical structure degrading. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025 Increased spotting potential east of the PCT exists, however, these spots have low potential for spread due to sparse, discontinuous vegetation or they can be accessed and suppressed by firefighting resources. — Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinuous
  1. sporadic
  2. intermittent
  3. occasional
  4. sudden
  5. irregular
Adjective
  • While Cannes has been far more sporadic in its support of the form, and Berlin tends to offer quantity at the expense of quality, Venice has consistently brought the bangers — and the 2026 selection looks to be among its best yet.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The clear-cutting of swaths of trees led to sporadic dust storms while, at night, the data center’s bright white lights can be seen from their homes and obscure the stars, according to the complaint.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sporadic
Adjective
  • With intermittent rain in the forecast over the next week, some sessions could be rescheduled or delayed for hours, corralling fans and shortening the time players have to recover for their next round.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The project is designed to turn intermittent solar generation into a more dependable power source.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of intermittent
Adjective
  • There are occasional non-permanent exhibitions relating to architecture and design.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Their Conan is the host for the Oscars, a podcast host, a voice in Toy Story 5, a world traveler, an occasional actor, and many other things.
    — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of occasional
Adjective
  • And at the end of it all, a euphoric fan base, tipsy with its sudden reversal of fortune, belted out a 1976 Abba song in South Florida.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The model is pulled in ten different directions by different internal product teams, resulting in an interface that suffers from sudden behavioral resets and an inability to smoothly execute complex, multi-turn human requests.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sudden
Adjective
  • If an engineer wants to model an irregular structure, such as fuel rods sitting inside metal cladding, the digital instructions needed just to describe that shape can grow too long.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And it's been reported to have been used by irregular forces in the Middle East.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of irregular

Browse Nearby Words

discontinuity
discontinuous
discontinuously
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Cite this Entry

“Discontinuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinuous. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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