SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
intermittent
adjective
Occurring at intervals with pauses between.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Occurring with breaks
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPeriodic suggests a regular cycle; intermittent only requires breaks and may be irregular.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See intermittent in use
Intermittent rain interrupted the outdoor rehearsal.
During a rehearsal, an intermittent rattle appeared whenever someone rolled a cart across the corridor outside the room.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license