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
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
Wilson signed off: “I think the U.S. equity market will grind higher for the rest of the year with intermittent bouts of volatility.”
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
The agreement to create one of the world's biggest free-trade zones was sealed in January after more than 25 years of intermittent negotiations.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Paltrow has often been ahead of the curve on now-popular practices like intermittent fasting and oil pulling—even, in her telling, yoga.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Gas-fired power stations help balance the electricity system by rapidly increasing output when renewable generation is intermittent.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
During the morning the digging proceeded in a light-hearted and intermittent way.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
