intermittent
/ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪntərˈmɪtənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌin-tər-ˈmi-tᵊnt/ (ame, mw)
intermittent — adjective
- intermittentpositive
- more intermittentcomparative
- most intermittentsuperlative
1. Something that is intermittent does not happen in a steady, unbroken way — it al
Something that is intermittent does not happen in a steady, unbroken way — it alternates between being active and being paused, with breaks that can be short or long.
The café's intermittent Wi-Fi made it hard for Brandon to finish his work.
attributive: intermittent + noun
Jisoo's migraines were intermittent — a month without one followed by two in a single week.
predicative: be + intermittent
An intermittent clanking sound came from Minh's bicycle whenever he rode uphill.
The rain was intermittent all morning, with sudden showers followed by clear skies.
Greta wrote her novel in intermittent short bursts of free time between family duties.
- sporadic
Emphasises unpredictability; scattered occurrences with no clear pattern, while 'intermittent' emphasises an active cycle of stopping and starting.
- occasional
Softer in tone — means happening from time to time, but does not strongly suggest repeated cycles of stopping and starting.
- fitful
More literary; suggests restless or uneasy stopping and starting, especially of sleep, breathing, or effort.
- continuous
Happening without any break or pause.
- steady
Happening in a regular, even, and predictable way.
- constant
Happening all the time without stopping.
文法句型
intermittent + noun
be + intermittent
用法筆記
Frequently used in medical contexts (intermittent pain, intermittent symptoms), weather reports (intermittent rain or showers), and technical contexts (intermittent signal or connection). Can be used both before a noun ('an intermittent noise') and after a linking verb ('the noise was intermittent').