YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

intermittent

Adjective

IPA /ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt/

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Meaning in plain English

Stopping and starting at intervals instead of continuing steadily.

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Pronunciation

intermittent/ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt/

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Rain falls for a while
There is a dry gap
The rain starts again

Intermittent rain stops and starts instead of continuing steadily.

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Intermittent rain interrupted our afternoon walk.
An intermittent internet connection made the online lecture difficult to follow.

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________ rain interrupted our afternoon walk.

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intermittent — Stopping and starting at intervals instead of continuing steadily.

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Stopping and starting at intervals instead of continuing steadily.

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Word origin

From Latin intermittere, meaning to leave off or interrupt, through its present-participle form.

Did you know?

Intermittent rain, noise and faults occur with gaps between them.

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