Word
intermittent
Phoneticsin·ter·mit·tent, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌɪntɝˈmɪtənt/
UK/ˌɪntəmˈɪtənt/
Definitions
01stopping and starting
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. happening sometimes but not all the time, or not in a regular way.
adj. occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
“The radio signal was intermittent because of the heavy storm.”
“The patient reported intermittent chest pains that occurred primarily during periods of high stress but vanished during rest.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02seasonal water flow
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
adj. used to describe a stream or lake that is dry for part of the year.
adj. denoting a watercourse or body of water that flows or contains water only during certain seasons or after rainfall.
“The intermittent stream only flows during the rainy spring months.”
“Ecologists studied the unique biodiversity found in the intermittent pools, which remain dry for six months of the year.”
Antonyms
03a recurring fever
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Medicine Archaic
n. an old word for a fever that goes away and then comes back.
n. a disease or fever, such as malaria, characterised by intervals of normal temperature between paroxysms.
“The old medical book described the treatment for a dangerous intermittent.”
“Nineteenth-century physicians often struggled to distinguish between various types of intermittents before the discovery of specific pathogens.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“People living in flats with intermittent water supply have had to be prepared for sudden outages.” “While idling is intermittent and usually of short duration, estimates of the cumulative effect are staggering.” Etymology
From Middle French intermittent, from Latin intermittens (“sending between”), from prefix inter- (“among, on”) + mittens (“sending”), from mittere (“to send”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/intermittent