intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌin-tər-ˈmi-tᵊnt 
1
: coming and going at intervals : not continuous
intermittent rain
2
of a stream or body of water
: appearing and disappearing seasonally : sometimes dry
intermittently
adverb
raining intermittently
Synonyms
Examples of intermittent in a Sentence
In the intermittent light he could make out the shape of a solitary oak tree, spreading great arms from its short tremendous trunk.
—
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, (1973) 1999
Decades of intermittent but recurring controversies with imperial authorities, and the lodestar of the glorious Revolution, disposed Americans to continue to believe that representation existed, first and foremost, to protect the rights of their communities against the abuse of executive power.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996
Bronchodilators continue to play an important role in asthma treatment, especially for people who have relatively mild or intermittent attacks.
—Stephen Hoffmann, Harvard Medical School Health Letter, June 1991
The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.
The forecast is for intermittent rain.
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, (1973) 1999
Decades of intermittent but recurring controversies with imperial authorities, and the lodestar of the glorious Revolution, disposed Americans to continue to believe that representation existed, first and foremost, to protect the rights of their communities against the abuse of executive power.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996
Bronchodilators continue to play an important role in asthma treatment, especially for people who have relatively mild or intermittent attacks.
—Stephen Hoffmann, Harvard Medical School Health Letter, June 1991
The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.
The forecast is for intermittent rain.
Recent Examples on the Web
In an effort to onboard users, Tubi was running a free livestream for the championship game, —which ended in a victory for the Eagles—but things didn’t exactly go swimmingly, with multiple users reporting intermittent buffering issues and freezes.
—Dimitar 'mix' Mihov, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025
However, intermittent fasting comes with major potential health risks for people with conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 7 Feb. 2025
Rosé Champagne France The 2009 growing season started with cold winter temperatures and intermittent snowfall.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2025
Life in Gaza has been sustained by intermittent convoys of water tankers and trucks with cargoes of plastic bottles.
—Claudine Ebeid, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for intermittent 
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Dimitar 'mix' Mihov, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025
However, intermittent fasting comes with major potential health risks for people with conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 7 Feb. 2025
Rosé Champagne France The 2009 growing season started with cold winter temperatures and intermittent snowfall.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2025
Life in Gaza has been sustained by intermittent convoys of water tankers and trucks with cargoes of plastic bottles.
—Claudine Ebeid, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for intermittent
Dictionary Entries Near intermittent
Cite this Entry
“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌint-ər-ˈmit-ᵊnt
: starting, stopping, and starting again
an intermittent fever
intermittently
adverb
Medical Definition
intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌint-ər-ˈmit-ᵊnt
: coming and going at intervals : not continuous
intermittent fever
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