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 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 But the fact that Flights is a novel seems somehow more true-to-life in the way that our lives, yours and mine, are discontinuous, fragmented, full of returns and departures, progress and regression. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for discontinuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinuous
  1. sporadic
  2. intermittent
  3. occasional
  4. sudden
  5. irregular
Adjective
  • Sporadic attacks risk largely blocking the waterway In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has shown that even sporadic attacks on ships can be enough to effectively close a critical waterway by driving up risks and insurance premiums.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The Strait of Hormuz — which handled around one-fifth of global oil supply before the war — has seen traffic drop to a trickle with sporadic increase in ship transits on positive headlines.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sporadic
Adjective
  • Construction vehicles beeped and chugged, and the intermittent buzz of saws mixed with the clang of heavy equipment.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Last Friday, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ published their most recent shortage update list naming the brands of estradiol patches on back order, intermittent back order, as well as those that are currently available.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of intermittent
Adjective
  • La Liga is a two-horse race, with occasional Atletico Madrid interruptions; Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga are Parisian and Bavarian cakewalks with rare exceptions.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The kids in The Shards might benefit from an occasional watchful eye, if only their parents weren’t vacationing in Europe indefinitely.
    — Rob Haskell, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of occasional
Adjective
  • In the path of totality, a low, milky sky may hide the corona, but that also makes the darkness feel heavier and more sudden.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The former employee said that there are informal support groups among alumni, more for navigating a flood of financial advisors and figuring out what to do with sudden wealth than for organizing trades.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of sudden
Adjective
  • Their goal was to test the leading theory, first put forward in the 1980s, that turbulence — the irregular motion of air currents in the atmosphere — caused shadow bands.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The study also linked heavier non-schoolwork screen use to irregular sleep routines, weight concerns and weaker peer support.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on discontinuous

Nglish: Translation of discontinuous for Spanish Speakers

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