intermissive
Definition
Adjective: Relating to or characterized by intermission; occurring with pauses or intervals of cessation.
Usage Examples
- (The pain came and went, stopping and starting.)
- (The rain was not continuous but had breaks.)
Advanced Usage
- "intermissive fever": A medical term for a fever that rises and falls at intervals, typical of certain diseases like malaria.
- The doctor diagnosed the intermissive fever as a symptom of the infection. (The fever pattern showed periods of normal temperature between spikes.)
Variants and Related Words
- Intermissive (adj): an alternate spelling, less common but synonymous.
- The intermissive nature of the noise made it hard to concentrate. (The noise stopped and started.)
- Intermittent (adj): occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
- The intermittent signal caused the video to buffer frequently. (The signal kept cutting out.)
- Intermission (n): a pause or break between periods of activity, especially in a performance.
- We bought snacks during the intermission of the play. (The break between acts.)
Synonyms
- Intermittent: stopping and starting at intervals.
- Periodic: occurring or appearing at regular intervals.
- Discontinuous: not continuous; having breaks or gaps.
Related Idioms
- Come and go: to appear and then disappear repeatedly.
- The intermissive symptoms came and go without warning. (They appeared and disappeared irregularly.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Ease off: to become less intense or frequent.
- The intermissive rain eased off by midday. (The rain stopped and started less often.)