on and off
Definition
Adverb: In an intermittent or irregular manner; occurring or functioning at intervals, not continuously.
Usage
This adverb describes actions or states that happen periodically, with breaks or pauses in between. It emphasizes a pattern of starting and stopping.
Examples
- (The rain was not continuous; it started and stopped several times.)
- (Her employment has been intermittent, with periods of working and not working.)
- (The signal is not steady; it fades in and out.)
Advanced Usage
- "On and off" can often describe long-term habits or conditions that are not constant.
- He's been studying Spanish on and off since high school.
- It can be used to describe the functioning of a device or system.
- The streetlight flickered on and off.
Variants and Related Words
- Off and on: This is a common variant with identical meaning and usage.
- We've been friends off and on since childhood.
- Intermittently (adverb): A more formal synonym.
- Sporadically (adverb): Another synonym implying scattered, unpredictable occurrences.
Synonyms
- Intermittently
- Sporadically
- Periodically
- Fitfully
Related Phrases
- Off again, on again: A phrase with a similar meaning, often describing an unstable relationship or plan.
- Their engagement has been off again, on again for months.
- Stop and start: A phrase describing a process that proceeds irregularly.
- The project progressed in a stop and start fashion.
Adverb
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not regularly
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they phone each other off and on
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