intermittent
Americanadjective
-
stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again.
an intermittent pain.
- Synonyms:
- sporadic, interrupted
-
alternately functioning and not functioning or alternately functioning properly and improperly.
-
(of streams, lakes, or springs) recurrent; showing water only part of the time.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intermittent
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin intermittent- (stem of intermittēns ), present participle of intermittere “to leave a space between, drop off (for a while)”; see intermit, -ent
Explanation
Reach for the adjective intermittent to describe periodic movement and stopping and starting over a period of time. The adjective intermittent modifies things that work or stop and start at periodic intervals. An interesting use of something intermittent is a metronome, a device that marks off time in music by making a sound in a regular pattern. It provides structure for musicians, especially when there are several instruments all playing different melodies at the same time. Other intermittent things are the windshield wipers on your car — and thank goodness for them when it rains!
Vocabulary lists containing intermittent
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wildfires have been described to me as an "intermittent problem" because they're seasonal and we don't see large ones happening every year.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
But Lebanon still reports intermittent Israeli strikes and broad demolitions of civilian buildings in southern villages and towns.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
“The U.S. and Iran engage in intermittent military exchanges but stop short of a return to high-intensity warfare,” BMI analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Its work includes investigating intermittent fasting as a treatment for obesity and associated health problems, along with studying whether bone markers can help predict cardiovascular risk.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Babou stopped in front of the house, but the cloud of smoke kept going, enveloping the minivan in a black shroud before dissipating into a thin trail of intermittent puffs.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
