occasional

IPA/əˈkeɪʒənl/
KK[əkˈeʒənəl]IPA/əˈkeɪʒənl/

occasional — 形容詞

  • occasionalpositive
  • more occasionalcomparative
  • most occasionalsuperlative

1. describing something that you do, see, or experience only a few times — with lon

1.形容詞C1
釋義

偶爾的

間隔不固定、次數不多的

describing something that you do, see, or experience only a few times — with long, uneven gaps between each time, rather than on any fixed schedule.

例句

Mei treated herself to an occasional glass of red wine on Friday evenings.

美在每週五晚上會偶爾犒賞自己一杯紅酒。

attributive: an occasional + countable noun

The forecast warned of occasional showers across Taipei throughout the weekend.

氣象預報指出,週末整個臺北地區會不時出現陣雨。

weather collocation: occasional showers / rain

常見搭配
  • an occasional drink
  • an occasional cigarette
  • the occasional headache
  • occasional showers
  • an occasional visitor
同義詞
  • infrequent

    more formal; emphasises low total count rather than irregular spacing

  • intermittent

    stresses starting and stopping repeatedly, often of signals, pain, or rain

  • sporadic

    unpredictable timing, often with a slightly negative tone (sporadic violence, outages)

  • periodic

    happens at roughly regular gaps, unlike 'occasional' which is irregular

反義詞
  • frequent

    direct opposite — happens often

  • regular

    happens on a fixed schedule

  • constant

    happens all the time without breaks

文法句型

occasional + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used before a noun, not after a linking verb — say 'an occasional headache', not '*the headache was occasional*'. Distinguish from 'rare' (even less frequent, often surprising) and 'frequent' (the direct opposite).

常見錯誤

My visits to the gym are occasional.
I make occasional visits to the gym.
'occasional' normally sits before the noun, not after a linking verb.
She drinks coffee occasional.
She drinks coffee occasionally.
for 'sometimes' as an adverb, use 'occasionally', not 'occasional'.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

  • occasional visitor
  • occasional customer
  • occasional showers
  • occasional drink
  • occasional cigarette
  • occasional headache
  • occasional reminder
  • occasional papers
  • occasional lectures

副詞搭配

  • only occasional
  • very occasional
  • purely occasional

常用片語

  • an occasional glass of wine
  • apart from the occasional ...
  • with the occasional ...