All words

intermittent

Meaning

Characterized by periods of activity separated by cessations.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

The old car sputtered. It would drive for a bit, then die. This intermittent problem was so frustrating; we'd get going, then stop again, over and over, always hoping the next time it would just keep going.

The old well pump sputtered, its motor groaning with an intermittent whirring, a brief spurt of water, then silence again. Each choked breath of the machine was a test of our patience, waiting for the next pathetic trickle. We needed water, and this agonizingly slow, stop start supply was making us sweat.

The old car sputtered, its engine making a terrible noise. It would run for a block, then quit, its life an intermittent struggle. We'd coast for a bit, then try again, hoping for another small burst of power before the silence returned.

My old toaster makes a funny noise. It sputters and pops, then goes quiet for a bit. This intermittent racket is characterized by periods of activity separated by cessations, especially when it's deciding if it wants to burn my bread or just warm it up.

My pet rock, Bartholomew, has been incredibly lazy lately. He's characterized by periods of activity, like when he rolls off the table, separated by cessations of his usual boulder-like stillness. Mostly, though, he just sits there, contemplating dust bunnies.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The old engine sputtered. It would run for a few seconds, then die, its performance intermittent. Frustration grew with each restart, the silence between its coughs feeling longer and longer. We were stranded, waiting for it to decide to work again.

The flickering neon sign of the roadside diner cast an intermittent glow, its stuttering lights mirroring the broken promises whispered between them. Each burst of illumination highlighted the desperation in his eyes before plunging them back into shadow, a rhythm of hope and despair.

The old server hummed, its access light blinking with an intermittent pulse. We'd been trying to download the archival footage for hours, each brief success followed by a frustrating silence. It was so close, yet so far, mirroring the sporadic hope that flickered through our weary team.

My alarm clock's snooze button is a master of the intermittent. It allows me a few glorious minutes of slumber, then blares with renewed vigor, only to grant a brief reprieve again. This cycle of activity separated by cessations is the bane of my morning, a cruel, noisy dance.

My attempts at learning the unicycle were... intermittent. I'd wobble wildly for a glorious two seconds, then dramatically embrace the pavement. This pattern repeated, punctuated by bewildered squirrels and my own frustrated groans, a true exhibition of activity separated by cessations.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The old engine sputtered, a sign of trouble. It would run for a minute, then die, only to restart a few moments later. This intermittent operation made the journey agonizingly slow, each stretch of road followed by an agonizing pause, full of worry.

The signal was intermittent, a flicker of hope followed by maddening silence. He checked the diagnostics again, frustration building with each dead readout. He needed a steady stream, not this infuriating pause and then brief resurgence, like a dying ember struggling to stay lit.

The signal was intermittent, a burst of static, then silence. We strained to hear, desperate for any communication from the stranded sub. Each spike of sound was a surge of hope, quickly extinguished by the vast, empty quiet.

My internet connection is an infuriating enigma. It's characterized by periods of activity separated by cessations, usually right when I'm about to win an online game or receive a crucial email. This intermittent torture leaves me adrift in a digital wasteland, punctuated by brief, glorious moments of connectivity.

My cat's affection is intermittent; one moment he's a furry overlord demanding worship, the next he's a lump of existential dread napping under the sofa. This capricious purring machine operates on a schedule only comprehensible to ancient Egyptian deities and himself.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The intermittent signal from the rescue beacon was a maddening tease. Each brief flash offered a sliver of hope, only to be swallowed by the oppressive silence again. We clung to those sporadic moments, the stark intervals of quiet amplifying our desperation.

The emergency beacon's signal was intermittent, a desperate pulse in the void. Each brief flash of light offered a sliver of hope, followed by an agonizing silence, a chilling reminder of their isolation and the dwindling power reserves.

The power flickered, intermittent at first, then a prolonged blackout. We rationed our dwindling provisions, each brief surge of illumination a desperate, fleeting comfort against the encroaching dread.

Barnaby's peripatetic pursuit of the elusive artisanal cheese involved intermittent bursts of frantic scurrying, punctuated by prolonged periods of comatose repose on a velvet chaise. He'd awaken, a pellucid glint in his eye, then succumb to languorous slumber once more, his gastronomic quest a testament to his peculiar, yet unyielding, determination.

The ancient, gargantuan intermittent geyser, an unpredictable behemoth of scalding brine, punctuated its subterranean eruptions with prolonged, sulfurous silences. Local brigands, notoriously indolent yet opportunistic, would convene their pilfering operations during these quiescent interludes, only to scatter precipitously when the earth began its seismic preambulation.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

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