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
- intermittence noun
- intermittency noun
- intermittently adverb
- nonintermittence noun
- nonintermittent adjective
- nonintermittentness noun
- unintermittent adjective
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)”; 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.
After launching from Earth on 1 April , the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission's Orion capsule had some intermittent issues with their toilet.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
If you loved creating a whole personality around intermittent fasting, welcome: You’ve found your people.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Six different loan moves saw him make intermittent impressions before finding a home at Fulham.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Concerns about intermittent loading delays at key Gulf export terminals could also tighten near-term oil supply availability.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
If I angled myself a certain way, I could trace the coastline and glimpse a narrow seam of the South Side with its low-rise rooftops and intermittent stands of trees.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
