Synonym Chooser

How is the word sporadic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sporadic are infrequent, rare, scarce, and uncommon. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

When is it sensible to use infrequent instead of sporadic?

Although the words infrequent and sporadic have much in common, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

When is rare a more appropriate choice than sporadic?

The meanings of rare and sporadic largely overlap; however, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

Where would scarce be a reasonable alternative to sporadic?

While the synonyms scarce and sporadic are close in meaning, scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

When would uncommon be a good substitute for sporadic?

The synonyms uncommon and sporadic are sometimes interchangeable, but uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sporadic Instead of sporadic, one-off acknowledgments, appreciation becomes a consistent and measurable part of workplace culture — with half the effort but twice the impact. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025 During her active years with WWE, which spanned from 2006 to her initial departure in 2012 and included subsequent sporadic returns for special appearances, Kelly Kelly achieved a significant milestone by capturing the WWE Divas Championship. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 These societies could survive without the sporadic acquisition of meat, anthropologists note. Amanda Ruggeri, Time, 7 Apr. 2025 The 2022 release hones in on an industrial-sounding synth, marked with sporadic, sci-fi sounds all while Komai energetically shouts in the background. Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sporadic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sporadic
Adjective
  • The house that the Americans strategically position themselves in is home to two families; there are occasional insert shots of family photos and trinkets, and at several points these families are shown cowering, terrified by what’s happening around them.
    Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
  • In general, bigleaf hydrangeas require little pruning, save for occasional shaping and thinning.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Based on the research, participants lost about 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks while intermittent fasting.18 Remember, fad diets are not healthy for you, especially long term.
    Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The pair are searching for the source of a particular beep: the intermittent ping that a smoke alarm makes when its battery is running low.
    Kirk Johnson, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But Trump’s erratic purge of the federal workforce has undermined those very efforts.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
  • In the meantime, crowds braved erratic weather for a festive opening weekend, and even early on a Monday morning, neighbors had already begun to converge, attracted by the new sod, tender trees, and open plaza that makes this 165-year-old wedge of nature look fresh and young again.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Several conditions may cause sudden vision loss, such as an eye injury.
    Heidi Cope, Health, 19 Apr. 2025
  • All of a sudden, something that was a huge source of joy in my grandparents’ life became a challenge.
    Katie Akin, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is the most common arrhythmia, characterized by an irregular and rapid heartbeat beginning in the upper chambers, or atria, of the heart.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Prosecutors say Peñaloza Cabrera suffered lidocaine toxicity, a condition that occurs when excessive amounts of the anesthetic enter the bloodstream, which can lead to seizures, irregular heart rhythms and in severe cases respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sporadic. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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