SPORADIC Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

sporadic

adjective

spə-ˈra-dik

Definition of sporadic

as in occasional

lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence sporadic loud noises kept startling everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in infrequent

not often occurring or repeated so long as the complaints remain sporadic, we're doing fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 Her acting work since leaving her signature role behind, however, has been sporadic. — Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Aug. 2026 But Iran continues to mount sporadic attacks against shipping and assert its claim over the strait. — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026 Shipping remains near a standstill amid sporadic attacks on oil tankers. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026 Weeks after its liftoff in early July to boost the decaying orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which launched in 2004, LINK ran into trouble, spinning out of control and suffering sporadic communications. — Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sporadic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sporadic

Adjective

There are occasional non-permanent exhibitions relating to architecture and design.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Their Conan is the host for the Oscars, a podcast host, a voice in Toy Story 5, a world traveler, an occasional actor, and many other things.

— Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of occasional

Adjective

With intermittent rain in the forecast over the next week, some sessions could be rescheduled or delayed for hours, corralling fans and shortening the time players have to recover for their next round.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
The project is designed to turn intermittent solar generation into a more dependable power source.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of intermittent

Adjective

The Salt River's first major dam, Roosevelt Dam, was completed in 1911 in an effort to tame erratic flows and wrangle its water for the nascent farming communities downstream.

— Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
The sibling drama, meanwhile, rather fades out of view amid these loftier goings-on; the film’s narrative begins to feel devised by the old parlor game Consequences, repeatedly wrenched in erratic new directions.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of erratic

Adjective

And at the end of it all, a euphoric fan base, tipsy with its sudden reversal of fortune, belted out a 1976 Abba song in South Florida.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
The model is pulled in ten different directions by different internal product teams, resulting in an interface that suffers from sudden behavioral resets and an inability to smoothly execute complex, multi-turn human requests.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of sudden

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spoors

sporadic

sporadically

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“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sporadic. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sporadic

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