The intermittent meaning refers to something that occurs from time to time, with periods of stopping and starting in between. For example, intermittent rain falls for a while, stops, and then starts again. Words such as occasional, sporadic, irregular, periodic, on-and-off, and discontinuous are related to intermittent, but each can have slightly different meanings and uses depending on the context.
Intermittent describes something that happens occasionally, stops and starts, or occurs at irregular intervals rather than continuing steadily. If you’ve come across the word “intermittent” and wondered what it means, how it is used, or how it differs from similar words, the term is commonly connected to occasional events, interruptions, breaks, pauses, irregular activity, and things that happen on and off.
In this guide, you’ll learn what “intermittent” means, how to use it in a sentence, what intermittent means in different contexts, and how “intermittent” differs from related words such as “occasional,” “sporadic,” and “continuous.” You’ll also see clear examples to make the meaning easy to understand.
By the end, you’ll know exactly what intermittent means and how to use this useful word naturally and correctly.
What Does Intermittent Mean?
Intermittent means occurring repeatedly with breaks or interruptions between periods of activity. Something intermittent doesn’t continue steadily. Instead, it starts and stops, comes and goes, or happens at intervals. The timing may be regular or irregular, depending on the situation.
In simple English, intermittent = happening, stopping, and happening again.
Consider these examples:
- Intermittent rain falls, stops, and returns later.
- Intermittent pain comes and goes instead of remaining constant.
- Intermittent internet works for a while and then disconnects.
- Intermittent noise appears, disappears, and returns.
- Intermittent communication happens with breaks between exchanges.
The word describes a pattern, not necessarily a specific frequency.
That’s an important distinction. Something can happen several times in one hour and still be intermittent. Something else might occur only a few times a month and also be intermittent.
Intermittent Meaning in Simple English
Think of a light switch.
If the light stays on continuously, it isn’t intermittent. If it turns on, goes off, turns on again, and keeps repeating that pattern, its operation is intermittent.
The same pattern appears in everyday situations:
Activity → break → activity → break → activity
That sequence captures the central meaning of intermittent.
For example:
“We experienced intermittent internet service during the storm.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean the internet was completely unavailable. It means the connection worked at some points and failed at others.
Is Intermittent Positive or Negative?
Intermittent is a neutral word. Its meaning isn’t automatically positive or negative. The surrounding noun and context determine whether the situation is desirable, inconvenient, harmless, or serious.
For example:
- Intermittent sunshine can sound pleasant.
- Intermittent rain may be inconvenient.
- Intermittent internet can be frustrating.
- Intermittent exercise might describe a deliberate pattern.
- Intermittent pain may describe an unpleasant recurring sensation.
So don’t assume that intermittent means “bad.”
It simply tells you how something occurs.
Intermittent Definition and Part of Speech
Intermittent is primarily an adjective. It describes a person, thing, event, process, or condition that occurs with interruptions or breaks rather than continuously.
You can place it directly before a noun:
- intermittent rain
- intermittent noise
- intermittent service
- intermittent problems
- intermittent communication
- intermittent activity
You can also use it after a linking verb:
- “The rain was intermittent.”
- “The signal became intermittent.”
- “Her symptoms were intermittent.”
The grammatical pattern is straightforward:
intermittent + noun
For example:
“The technician investigated the intermittent connection.”
Here, intermittent modifies connection.
Is Intermittent an Adjective?
Yes. Intermittent is an adjective.
It describes the nature or pattern of something.
Compare:
- The connection is intermittent.
- We have an intermittent connection.
- The intermittent connection keeps dropping.
In each sentence, the word describes a connection that repeatedly stops working.
It doesn’t function like a verb. You wouldn’t say:
“The internet intermittents.”
Instead, you’d say:
“The internet connection is intermittent.”
What Is the Adverb Form of Intermittent?
The adverb form is intermittently.
Use intermittent to describe a noun:
“We had intermittent rain.”
Use intermittently to describe how something happens:
“It rained intermittently throughout the afternoon.”
The difference is small but important.
| Form | Part of speech | Example |
| Intermittent | Adjective | We had intermittent rain. |
| Intermittently | Adverb | It rained intermittently. |
| Intermittence | Noun | The intermittence of the signal caused problems. |
In everyday English, intermittent and intermittently are much more common than intermittence.
How to Pronounce Intermittent
Intermittent has four syllables and is commonly pronounced with the main stress on the third syllable.
The word can be broken into:
in-ter-MIT-tent
The strongest stress falls on MIT.
Pronunciation
1×PlayStop
intermittent
/ˌɪn.tɚˈmɪt.ənt/
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American Pronunciation
In American English, the pronunciation uses a relatively light first part followed by stronger stress around the mit syllable.
When saying the word naturally, avoid giving every syllable equal emphasis. English rhythm usually makes the stressed syllable more prominent.
British Pronunciation
British English uses a closely related pronunciation, although the vowel sounds and unstressed syllables can differ slightly from American English.
These regional differences don’t change the meaning.
For practical communication, the most important feature is the stress pattern, rather than trying to reproduce every tiny accent difference.
Intermittent Examples in Sentences
Intermittent describes something that repeatedly occurs with breaks between periods of activity. You can use it for physical sensations, weather, technology, sounds, communication, services, and recurring events. The examples below show how the word changes slightly depending on the noun it modifies.
Intermittent Rain
“We experienced intermittent rain throughout the afternoon.”
This means rain fell at several points, but it wasn’t raining continuously.
You might have:
- Rain for 15 minutes.
- No rain for 30 minutes.
- Another shower.
- A longer dry period.
- Another brief shower.
That’s a classic example of an intermittent pattern.
Compare:
- Continuous rain: It rains without stopping.
- Intermittent rain: It rains, stops, and returns.
- Occasional rain: Rain happens from time to time, with emphasis on infrequency.
Weather reports often use intermittent because it communicates more information than simply saying “sometimes.”
Intermittent Pain
“He experienced intermittent pain in his lower back.”
Here, intermittent means the pain comes and goes rather than remaining present all the time.
For example, someone might feel discomfort for several minutes, feel fine for an hour, and then experience it again.
The word doesn’t tell you:
- how severe the pain is,
- why it occurs,
- how frequently it returns, or
- whether the condition is serious.
It only describes its pattern of occurrence.
That’s why “intermittent” should not be treated as a diagnosis. It’s a description of timing.
Intermittent Internet or Wi-Fi
“My internet connection has been intermittent all morning.”
This usually means the connection works at some times and fails at others.
For example:
“The Wi-Fi was fine for ten minutes, disconnected for two minutes, then came back.”
That’s intermittent service.
This usage is particularly common in technical support because intermittent describes a problem that can be difficult to reproduce. A completely dead connection is often easier to diagnose than a connection that fails only occasionally.
Useful related phrases include:
- intermittent Wi-Fi
- intermittent network connection
- intermittent internet access
- intermittent connectivity
- intermittent connection drops
Intermittent Noise
“An intermittent buzzing sound was coming from the ceiling.”
The buzzing isn’t constant. It appears, disappears, and returns.
This could describe:
- a faulty electrical component,
- an appliance,
- machinery,
- construction equipment,
- an alarm,
- or another recurring sound.
Notice how much more precise “intermittent” is than simply saying loud or annoying.
The word describes when the noise occurs, not its volume or quality.
Intermittent Electricity
“The neighborhood experienced intermittent power outages during the storm.”
This means electricity repeatedly went off and came back.
The distinction is useful:
- Power outage: electricity is unavailable.
- Intermittent power: electricity repeatedly becomes available and unavailable.
- Stable power: electricity remains consistently available.
This usage is especially useful when describing infrastructure problems because the service isn’t completely absent. It’s unreliable.
More Examples of Intermittent in Everyday English
Here are additional examples:
- “The machine has been making an intermittent clicking sound.”
- “We received intermittent updates throughout the day.”
- “The road was affected by intermittent traffic delays.”
- “She maintained intermittent contact with her former colleague.”
- “The device experienced intermittent charging problems.”
- “Intermittent storms are expected this evening.”
- “The team faced intermittent technical difficulties.”
- “The radio received an intermittent signal.”
- “His sleep was interrupted by intermittent noise.”
- “The employee took intermittent breaks during the shift.”
Each sentence describes something that doesn’t happen continuously.
Intermittent Synonyms
Common synonyms for intermittent include occasional, sporadic, periodic, irregular, recurring, on-and-off, and fitful. These words overlap, but they aren’t perfect substitutes. The best choice depends on whether you want to emphasize breaks, frequency, unpredictability, repetition, or regular intervals.
Here’s a useful comparison:
| Word | Main idea | Does it imply stopping and starting? |
| Intermittent | Occurs with breaks | Yes |
| Sporadic | Scattered or irregular | Sometimes |
| Occasional | Happens from time to time | Not necessarily |
| Periodic | Occurs at intervals | Not necessarily |
| Irregular | Lacks a consistent pattern | Not necessarily |
| Recurring | Happens again | Not necessarily |
| On-and-off | Repeatedly stops and starts | Yes |
| Fitful | Starts and stops unpredictably | Often |
The differences become clearer when you put the words into real sentences.
Intermittent vs. Sporadic
Intermittent emphasizes interruptions between occurrences.
Sporadic emphasizes that something happens in scattered or unpredictable instances.
Compare:
“The rain was intermittent.”
This suggests periods of rain separated by dry periods.
“The protests were sporadic.”
This suggests scattered occurrences rather than a continuous event.
The two words overlap, but they emphasize different features.
A useful rule:
Use intermittent when the breaks matter. Use sporadic when the scattered nature matters.
Intermittent vs. Occasional
Occasional generally means something happens sometimes but not frequently.
For example:
“I have occasional headaches.”
This tells you that headaches happen from time to time.
Now consider:
“I have intermittent headaches.”
This emphasizes that the headaches recur with periods when they aren’t present.
Occasional focuses more strongly on frequency.
Intermittent focuses more strongly on interruption and recurrence.
That’s why the words aren’t always interchangeable.
Intermittent vs. Periodic
This is one of the most useful distinctions to understand.
Periodic often suggests that something occurs at regular or identifiable intervals.
Intermittent only requires breaks between periods of activity. Those breaks don’t have to follow a predictable schedule.
For example:
“The machine undergoes periodic maintenance.”
Maintenance might occur according to a planned schedule.
But:
“The machine has intermittent faults.”
The faults may appear unpredictably.
So remember:
Periodic can imply a pattern. Intermittent emphasizes interruption.
Intermittent vs. Irregular
Irregular means something doesn’t follow a consistent pattern.
Intermittent means something occurs with interruptions.
A heartbeat, schedule, shape, payment, or pattern can be irregular without necessarily being intermittent.
For example:
“The company has an irregular payment schedule.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean payments repeatedly stop and restart. It means their timing isn’t consistent.
By contrast:
“The service is intermittent.”
The service itself repeatedly becomes available and unavailable.
Intermittent vs. On-and-Off
On-and-off is one of the closest everyday alternatives to intermittent.
Compare:
“We’ve had intermittent internet problems.”
with:
“We’ve had on-and-off internet problems.”
Both sound natural.
The main difference is register.
Intermittent sounds more formal and technical.
On-and-off sounds more conversational.
For a technical report, you might write:
“The device experienced intermittent connectivity.”
For a casual conversation, you might say:
“The Wi-Fi has been on and off all morning.”
The underlying idea remains almost identical.
Intermittent Antonyms
The clearest opposites of intermittent are words that describe something continuing without interruption.
Common antonyms include:
- continuous
- constant
- steady
- uninterrupted
- ongoing
- persistent
However, these words aren’t exact opposites in every context.
Intermittent vs. Continuous
Continuous means something continues without interruption.
Compare:
“The machine produced continuous noise.”
The noise never stopped.
“The machine produced intermittent noise.”
The noise repeatedly stopped and started.
This is perhaps the easiest way to understand the core meaning of intermittent.
| Intermittent | Continuous |
| Stops and starts | Doesn’t stop |
| Has breaks | Has no breaks |
| Comes and goes | Continues |
| Interrupted | Uninterrupted |
Intermittent vs. Constant
Constant generally describes something that continues consistently or remains present.
For example:
“She heard constant traffic noise.”
The noise remained present.
Compare:
“She heard intermittent traffic noise.”
The noise appeared and disappeared.
The contrast is especially useful with words such as pain, noise, pressure, communication, and activity.
Intermittent vs. Steady
Steady emphasizes consistency and stability.
For example:
“The patient had a steady heart rate.”
This means the rate remained consistent.
“The signal was intermittent.”
This means the signal repeatedly disappeared and returned.
The two words focus on different dimensions:
- Steady: consistent behavior.
- Intermittent: interrupted behavior.
Common Phrases With Intermittent
The meaning of intermittent becomes easier to remember when you see the word in common collocations.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting describes an eating pattern that alternates between periods when a person eats and periods when they don’t.
The word intermittent is doing exactly what it normally does: describing an activity that occurs in separated periods rather than continuously.
The phrase is not simply another word for “eating less.”
It describes when eating occurs.
Common approaches can involve specific eating and fasting windows, but the exact schedule varies.
The important linguistic point is that intermittent refers to the repeated alternation between eating periods and fasting periods.
Intermittent Rain
Intermittent rain means rain that occurs in separate periods rather than continuously.
A forecast might describe:
“Intermittent showers throughout the morning.”
You should expect some rain, some breaks, and potentially more rain later.
That’s different from:
“Continuous rain throughout the morning.”
The second phrase suggests the rain doesn’t let up.
Intermittent Signal
An intermittent signal repeatedly appears and disappears.
You might encounter this phrase in:
- telecommunications,
- radio systems,
- networking,
- electronics,
- GPS systems,
- sensors,
- industrial equipment.
For example:
“The receiver is detecting an intermittent signal.”
The system receives the signal at some times but loses it at others.
Intermittent Connection
An intermittent connection works inconsistently.
This phrase is common when discussing:
- Wi-Fi,
- mobile networks,
- Bluetooth,
- VPN connections,
- wired networks,
- remote servers.
If your connection is completely dead, you’d normally say you have no connection.
If it works sometimes and fails repeatedly, intermittent connection is more precise.
How to Use Intermittent Correctly
Use intermittent when a person, object, event, service, or process repeatedly occurs with breaks between periods of activity. Place it before a noun when using it as an adjective, such as “intermittent rain” or “intermittent problems.” Use intermittently when you need an adverb.
A reliable test is to ask:
Does this thing happen, stop, and then happen again?
If yes, intermittent may be the right word.
Correct Usage
Here are several natural sentence structures:
Adjective + noun:
“The technician found an intermittent fault.”
Linking verb + adjective:
“The signal is intermittent.”
Adverb:
“The signal appeared intermittently.”
Past-tense description:
“The engine made an intermittent clicking noise.”
Longer descriptive sentence:
“The company experienced intermittent service disruptions throughout the afternoon.”
These patterns work because intermittent describes the recurring nature of the event.
Common Usage Mistakes
Mistaking Intermittent for Rare
Intermittent doesn’t necessarily mean rare.
Something can happen every few minutes and still be intermittent if it repeatedly stops and starts.
“The alarm sounded intermittently every five minutes.”
That’s clearly not rare.
Treating Intermittent and Random as Identical
Intermittent doesn’t automatically mean random.
A process can be intermittent and highly predictable.
For example, an alarm might sound for 30 seconds every 10 minutes. That’s intermittent, but the pattern is regular.
Random focuses on unpredictability.
Intermittent focuses on interruptions.
Confusing Intermittent With Occasional
Occasional emphasizes that something happens sometimes.
Intermittent emphasizes repeated activity separated by breaks.
That’s a subtle difference, but it matters when precision counts.
Confusing Intermittent With Periodic
Periodic can suggest regular intervals.
Intermittent doesn’t require regular timing.
Consider these examples:
“The system performs periodic updates.”
The updates follow a planned interval.
“The system has intermittent failures.”
The failures may occur at unpredictable times.
Using Intermittent When You Mean Constant
These words describe opposite patterns.
Don’t write:
“The machine produced intermittent noise all night without stopping.”
That creates a contradiction if you mean the noise was continuous.
Instead, say:
“The machine produced constant noise all night.”
If the machine repeatedly stopped and restarted, then intermittent noise works.
Intermittent Word Forms and Related Words
Understanding the word family makes it easier to use intermittent naturally.
Intermittent
Intermittent is the adjective.
Examples:
- intermittent rain
- intermittent pain
- intermittent signal
- intermittent service
- intermittent problems
Intermittently
Intermittently is the adverb.
Examples:
- “The light flashed intermittently.”
- “The connection dropped intermittently.”
- “The machine operated intermittently.”
A useful trick is to look at what the word modifies.
If you’re describing a thing, use intermittent:
“The signal is intermittent.”
If you’re describing how an action happens, use intermittently:
“The signal appeared intermittently.”
Intermittence
Intermittence is the noun form.
It refers to the quality or condition of being intermittent.
For example:
“The intermittence of the signal made the fault difficult to diagnose.”
This word is grammatically correct, but it is considerably less common in everyday conversation than intermittent and intermittently.
For most general writing, you’ll probably want the more familiar forms.
Intermittent Meaning: Quick Comparison Table
The following table gives you a quick way to distinguish the most closely related words:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
| Intermittent | Stops and starts | We had intermittent rain. |
| Sporadic | Scattered or unpredictable | Sporadic complaints were reported. |
| Occasional | Happens sometimes | I get occasional headaches. |
| Periodic | Happens at intervals | The system receives periodic updates. |
| Irregular | Doesn’t follow a consistent pattern | The payments were irregular. |
| Recurring | Happens repeatedly | The issue is recurring. |
| On-and-off | Repeatedly stops and starts | The Wi-Fi has been on-and-off. |
| Continuous | Continues without interruption | The rain was continuous. |
| Constant | Remains consistently present | There was constant noise. |
| Steady | Remains consistent | The signal was steady. |
The biggest takeaway is this:
Intermittent is about interruption.
It doesn’t necessarily tell you whether the intervals are regular, rare, predictable, or random.
That information has to come from the context.
A Simple Way to Remember the Meaning of Intermittent
Imagine a dripping faucet.
If the drops arrive at perfectly regular intervals, you could describe the pattern as periodic.
That gives you a useful mental map:
Intermittent = breaks
Sporadic = scattered
Occasional = sometimes
Periodic = intervals
Continuous = no breaks
Constant = consistently present
Once you understand those distinctions, using the word becomes much easier.
When Should You Use Intermittent Instead of “Sometimes”?
Use intermittent when you want to describe the pattern of something rather than merely saying that it happens sometimes.
Compare:
“The internet sometimes stops working.”
This is understandable and conversational.
Now:
“The internet connection is intermittent.”
This is shorter and more precise. It tells the reader that the connection repeatedly works and fails.
Similarly:
“It sometimes rained.”
is different from:
“There was intermittent rain.”
The second version paints a clearer picture: periods of rain were separated by periods without rain.
That’s why intermittent is especially useful in technical, professional, medical, scientific, and descriptive writing.
Intermittent Meaning in Different Contexts
The core definition remains the same, but the practical meaning changes slightly depending on the subject.
| Context | What intermittent means |
| Weather | Occurs in separate periods |
| Internet | Connection repeatedly works and fails |
| Pain | Pain comes and goes |
| Noise | Sound repeatedly appears and disappears |
| Electricity | Power repeatedly becomes available and unavailable |
| Signal | Signal is detected at some times but lost at others |
| Communication | Contact happens with breaks |
| Work | Activity occurs in separated periods |
| Fasting | Eating and fasting alternate |
| Problems | An issue repeatedly appears and disappears |
The noun tells you what is happening.
Intermittent tells you how it happens.
That’s the most useful way to think about the word.
A Practical Case Study: Intermittent Internet
Suppose you’re working from home.
At 9:00 a.m., your internet works normally. At 9:15, the connection drops. Two minutes later, it returns. At 9:30, it disappears again. It comes back at 9:34 and works normally until 10:00.
How would you describe the problem?
You could say:
“My internet is broken.”
But that’s not completely accurate. The internet works sometimes.
You could say:
“My internet is slow.”
Again, that might not be accurate. The connection isn’t necessarily slow when it works.
A more precise description would be:
“My internet connection is intermittent.”
That sentence immediately communicates the central problem: the service repeatedly stops and resumes.
This illustrates why precise vocabulary matters. The right adjective can communicate an entire pattern in one word.
Intermittent Meaning in Professional Writing
In professional writing, intermittent can replace longer phrases such as “stops and starts repeatedly” when the context is clear.
For example:
Less concise:
“The machine keeps stopping and then starting again at unpredictable times.”
More concise:
“The machine has an intermittent fault.”
The shorter sentence doesn’t lose the essential idea. In fact, it can make technical communication easier to scan.
You might see the word in:
- incident reports,
- engineering documentation,
- customer-support tickets,
- maintenance reports,
- weather descriptions,
- business communications,
- technical troubleshooting,
- research writing.
However, don’t use sophisticated vocabulary merely to sound formal. If your audience might not know the word, “on-and-off” or “keeps stopping and starting” may communicate the idea faster.
Frequently Asked Questions About Intermittent Meaning
What does intermittent mean in simple words?
Intermittent means something happens, stops, and then happens again. It describes activity with breaks between periods of occurrence, such as intermittent rain, intermittent internet, or intermittent noise.
What is an example of intermittent?
A simple example is intermittent rain. If it rains for a while, stops, stays dry for some time, and then rains again, the rain is intermittent.
What is another word for intermittent?
On-and-off is one of the closest everyday alternatives. Other related words include sporadic, occasional, periodic, irregular, recurring, and fitful, although each has a slightly different emphasis.
Does intermittent mean random?
No. Intermittent does not necessarily mean random. It only means that something occurs with breaks. The intervals can be regular or irregular. An alarm that turns on for one minute every ten minutes is intermittent but predictable.
What is the difference between intermittent and continuous?
Intermittent means something repeatedly stops and starts, while continuous means it continues without interruption. Intermittent rain has breaks; continuous rain does not.
What is the difference between intermittent and sporadic?
Both words can describe irregular occurrences, but intermittent emphasizes breaks between periods of activity, while sporadic emphasizes scattered or unpredictable occurrences. A recurring technical fault is often described as intermittent.
Final Takeaway: What Does Intermittent Mean?
The simplest definition of intermittent is:
Something that happens repeatedly with breaks between periods of activity.
If something comes and goes, stops and starts, or occurs with interruptions, intermittent may be the right word.
Remember the key distinction:
- Intermittent = happens with breaks
- Sporadic = scattered or unpredictable
- Occasional = happens sometimes
- Periodic = happens at intervals
- Continuous = doesn’t stop
- Constant = remains consistently present
When you’re unsure whether to use the word, ask yourself one question:
Does the thing happen, stop, and happen again?
If the answer is yes, intermittent is probably a strong fit.
And if you’re building your vocabulary, don’t stop at the definition. Compare intermittent with its closest alternatives, study it in real sentences, and pay attention to common combinations such as intermittent rain, intermittent pain, intermittent connection, intermittent signal, and intermittent problems. Those patterns will help you use the word naturally rather than simply recognize it.
