Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for intermittent. Search instead for interns attend.
Synonyms

intermittent

American  
[in-ter-mit-nt] / ˌɪn tərˈmɪt nt /

adjective

  1. stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again.

    an intermittent pain.
    Synonyms:
    sporadic, interrupted

  2. alternately functioning and not functioning or alternately functioning properly and improperly.

  3. (of streams, lakes, or springs) recurrent; showing water only part of the time.

intermittent British  
/ ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt /

adjective

  1. occurring occasionally or at regular or irregular intervals; periodic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

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

Improved battery storage technology is also helping with the intermittent nature of solar and wind power.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 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.