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 At the time, logic dictated the culprit to be malaria because the couple had shown symptoms of the illness, including a telltale intermittent fever. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 15 July 2026 Per the complaint, Kasanga had disabilities including autism, moderate intellectual disability, intermittent explosive disorder and seizure disorder. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Proponents didn’t view the plan as a cure-all but called it a step toward breaking the cycle of intermittent attention by making civilian protection a year-round mission. — Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 6 July 2026 The title track has a lurching, intermittent cadence, with short, hooting bursts from Epstein bouncing off Vida’s offbeat bass notes. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 3 July 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
  • Instead, forecasters are monitoring a recurrent coronal hole, an area where the sun’s magnetic field opens into space and allows faster solar wind to escape.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Among the children with recurrent brain tumors who participated in the study, three experienced particularly positive outcomes.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 July 2026
Definition of recurrent
Adjective
  • States routinely review the accuracy of their voter rolls and sporadic cases of noncitizen voting are investigated and prosecuted.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • His impact last season was more sporadic than steady, however, which is not uncommon for a first-year starter learning on the fly.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of sporadic
Adjective
  • The Bell Street Bridge encampment was prioritized for closure as part of Downtown Rising – the first phase of Atlanta Rising, a multi-year campaign launched in 2025 to end unsheltered homelessness citywide and make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
    — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • This was and is a non-recurring, cyclical business totally dependent on transaction volumes, which fluctuate with economic cycles and interest rates.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of recurring
Adjective
  • Artificial intelligence, continual technological advances, evolving workforce expectations, economic uncertainty and increasing complexity have transformed change from an occasional event into the operating environment.
    — Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Researchers plan to test whether shorter, occasional naps have different effects on the brain over time compared with longer, more frequent ones.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
Definition of occasional
Adjective
  • Renewal Requires Timing, Limits And Recovery On the mountain, Mee-Add drew our attention to vegetation shaped by wind and to the role of periodic fire in the fynbos ecosystem.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • El Nino is a periodic warming of water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that can affect global weather patterns for months, according to Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Definition of periodic
Adjective
  • The film centers on Prabha, a troubled young man whose sudden and unexplained death triggers a ripple effect across his extended family and community.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Cyclosporiasis symptoms include sudden, watery and occasionally explosive diarrhea—these symptoms usually appear between two days and two weeks after ingesting the parasite.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 17 July 2026
Definition of sudden

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intermittent
intermittently
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Cite this Entry

“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intermittent. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on intermittent

Nglish: Translation of intermittent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about intermittent

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