Synonym Chooser

How is the word sporadic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sporadic are infrequent, rare, scarce, and uncommon. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

When is it sensible to use infrequent instead of sporadic?

Although the words infrequent and sporadic have much in common, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

When is rare a more appropriate choice than sporadic?

The meanings of rare and sporadic largely overlap; however, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

Where would scarce be a reasonable alternative to sporadic?

While the synonyms scarce and sporadic are close in meaning, scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

When would uncommon be a good substitute for sporadic?

The synonyms uncommon and sporadic are sometimes interchangeable, but uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

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 sporadic This sparked a backlash against Tesla that included sporadic cases of arson and vandalism at stores and charging stations. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025 Silksong was first announced in 2019, and after sporadic details and development promises, the DLC turned full release was given a formal release date just two weeks ago — causing mayhem like the Eras Tour movie for other game releases. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025 Their appearance is sporadic and unpredictable. Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 4 Sep. 2025 The federal easement program receives only sporadic funding, and typically only after a presidential disaster declaration, which Illinois didn’t get in 2016, despite widespread damage in Alexander County. Molly Parker, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sporadic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sporadic
Adjective
  • In August 2023, Perez – a tourism official who manages the island’s biggest concert venue, the Coliseo – got a phone call from two producers for Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the genre-bending Puerto Rican rapper, singer, actor and occasional professional wrestler better known as Bad Bunny.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
  • About the series This is the second this year in an occasional series on 2025 winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In some cases, this even results in no weight loss during intermittent fasting, and instead to muscle loss and fat buildup.
    Frederik Jötten, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2025
  • What's more, intermittent fasting (which has been shown to alleviate some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease), following a period of eating a high-fat diet was also enough of an intervention to restore normal activity to the CCK interneurons.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Between February and May, when Dudek’s tenure ended, his erratic rhetoric and decisions routinely made front-page news.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Dyrdhal knew all too well Gooden’s penchant for erratic violence.
    Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • And then all of a sudden, the pick.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Obvious as that opening sequence at the cider mill might be, there’s a lingering queasiness to its Wes Anderson-like top-down shots of apples being funnelled through a big machine that shuts down the second an irregular object is thrown into the mix.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
  • These irregular, geometric objects transform throwaway plastics into collectible design, sparking reflection on consumption and permanence in the digital age.
    Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sporadic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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