intermittent

adjective

ˌin-tər-ˈmi-tᵊnt How to pronounce intermittent (audio)
Definition of intermittentnext
1
as in recurrent
occurring or appearing at intervals intermittent showers had me opening and closing my umbrella all day long

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence the breadwinner's intermittent employment put the family in a difficult position financially

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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 intermittent An aging parent develops dementia; illness makes recognition intermittent or apology impossible. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 There are still intermittent closures and construction connected to recovery projects, and the park service recommends consulting the road status section of its website when traveling to the region. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 My prototype suffered from intermittent rolling resistance with the motor off. — Thomas Ricker, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026 Those talks collapsed and the two sides have continued to trade intermittent attacks. — Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intermittent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intermittent
  1. recurrent
  2. sporadic
  3. recurring
  4. occasional
  5. periodic
  6. sudden
Adjective
  • Security training Current TSA regulations require recurrent security training for flight crew and cabin crew members, which includes self-defense training and exercises on how to handle a hijacking.
    — Jeff Price, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The second, given by Stille, enlisted a recurrent theme in Eco’s fiction — how falsehood often trumps truth — to discuss the crisis of liberal democracy and its institutions.
    — Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adjective
  • Only some regional operators have continued sporadic services, generally using smaller feeder vessels.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That said, devolving tropical storms can pack a punch with sporadic gusts and showers as the energy that was formerly bundled in the storm’s center releases outward.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of sporadic
Adjective
  • How Recurring Revenue Is The Pump There’s only one kind of funding that reliably shows up in year seven—recurring, unrestricted revenue.
    — Sarah Evans, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Excluding non-recurring events, the magnitude of the average S & P 500 earnings surprise for the quarter is still about 11%.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of recurring
Adjective
  • Just brief responses, the occasional emoji reaction, and a lot more action than talk.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The Braves Report itself will, at some point, enter semi-occasional offseason mode — but not sure exactly what that looks like yet.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of occasional
Adjective
  • Building and protecting those pipelines will be expensive—but far cheaper than trying to keep the strait open by force or coping with periodic shortages and price spikes.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Preliterate people don’t focus on such abstractions as taking a periodic population census and recording it for posterity.
    — James Coffin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of periodic
Adjective
  • All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Sagittarius Moon opposes Uranus, making a conversation, bit of news, or sudden change of perspective impossible to ignore.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sudden

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intermitted
intermittent
intermittently
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Cite this Entry

“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intermittent. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on intermittent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about intermittent

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