intermittent
Say it: in-tuh-MIT-unt /ˌɪntɚˈmɪtənt/ · adjective
What “intermittent” means
Stopping and starting, with uneven gaps in between.
More precisely: Stopping and starting at irregular intervals.
Example: “The café's intermittent Wi-Fi made the video call a nightmare.”
When to use it
Use it in everyday or technical descriptions of problems, sounds or activity that come and go instead of continuing steadily.
Similar words
sporadic, fitful, on-and-off
Where it comes from
From Latin intermittere, "to leave off for a time."
Quick check
Your headphones play normally, go silent, then work again, with pauses of different lengths. How would you describe the sound?
continuous or intermittent?
Show the answer
intermittent
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