sporadically

Examples

• All

• If you only saw someone sporadically, it was easy to present yourself always at your best.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Typically, failure is identified only sporadically, following gross pollution or other unusual circumstances.

  Academic text (2005)

• While previous scholarship has sporadically mentioned some of the details here, my research is the most comprehensive to date.

  Academic text (2017)

• The father, a Cutty Sark fan, raised the boy, working sporadically around the holidays.

  True Colors (1991)

• Documents of the Asamblea Nacional are found only sporadically in various locations.

  Academic text (1999)

• Efforts to crack down on heavily polluting vehicles using inspections were undertaken sporadically for at least 15 years.

  Academic text (2005)

• The wind gusted sporadically, and the sky spat a few large flakes of snow.

  Fiction book (1999)

• Maternal love was true, but she showed it sporadically, in sudden impulsive rushes.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The festival maidens' performances visually weave the bina's seemingly disjointed, sporadically occurring rites into a continuous, well-structured display.

  Academic text (2008)

• The women say they kept in touch with each other sporadically through the years.

Synonyms

O

occasionally

vssporadically

438 2.0

Happens sometimes but not often

emphasizes timing that is not regular rather than only rarity

F

from time to time

vssporadically

267 1.4

Happens sometimes but not regularly

shares the same sometimes meaning but focuses on uneven timing

E

every now and then

vssporadically

137 2.0

Sometimes, not very often

is used similarly but can imply less regular timing

O

on and off

vssporadically

73 2.0

Happens sometimes but not regularly

is similar but highlights periodic presence rather than constant action

E

every so often

vssporadically

41 2.4

Happens sometimes, but not very often

conveys the same sometimes sense without implying a schedule

I

infrequently

vssporadically

16 5.0

Happening only sometimes

focuses on uneven timing more than on mere rarity

I

intermittently

vssporadically

15 6.0

In a way that stops and starts at irregular times

occurs sometimes without meaning repeated stopping and starting

E

erratically

vssporadically

13 6.4

In a way that is not regular or easy to predict

adds unpredictability to happening sometimes rather than only nonregularity

F

fitfully

vssporadically

5 6.3

In an irregular way with short breaks

focuses on happening sometimes rather than steady continuity

I

irregularly

vssporadically

4 4.2

Happens at different times and not in a steady way

focuses on happening sometimes rather than on general unpredictability

E

episodically

vssporadically

1 7.5

Happening now and then with gaps between events

is used more generally, not limited to distinct periods

S

spasmodically

vssporadically

1 8.6

Happens at irregular times in short, sudden bursts

means it happens sometimes without implying violent or forceful bursts

B

by fits and starts

vssporadically

• Informal

1 7.4

Happens at irregular times, starting and stopping

describes something that happens sometimes without focusing on bursty nature

S

seldomly

vssporadically

• Archaic

6.0

Does not happen often

relates to uneven timing but mainly indicates low frequency

U

unfrequently

vssporadically

8.8

Not happening often

shares the not-often meaning but less about timing pattern

Antonyms

R

regularly

386 1.0

Often at the same or fixed times

C

continuously

95 2.3

Happens without stopping or pausing

How Often

regularly

386 1.0

frequently

476 1.0

occasionally

438 2.0

sporadically

13 6.5

rarely

539 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology