Desultory vs Intermittent - What's the difference?
desultory | intermittent |
Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence.
* 1850 , , Chapter 25
Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
Disappointing in performance or progress.
(obsolete) Leaping, skipping or flitting about, generally in a random or unsteady manner.
Stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant
(specifically, geology, of a body of water) Existing only for certain seasons; that is, being dry for part of the year.
As adjectives the difference between desultory and intermittent
is that desultory is jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence while intermittent is stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant.As a noun intermittent is
(medicine|dated) an intermittent fever or disease.desultory
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- To mend the matter, Hamlet's aunt had the family failing of indulging in soliloquy, and held forth in a desultory manner, by herself, on every topic that was introduced.
- He wandered round, cleaning up in a desultory way.
- I teach a class of desultory minds.
- I made a desultory remark while I was talking to my friend.
- She made a desultory attempt at conversation.
Synonyms
* (proceeding without rational order or connection) disconnected; unmethodical; aimlessDerived terms
* desultorilyReferences
*intermittent
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The day was cloudy with intermittent rain.
- Intermittent bugs are most difficult to reproduce.
- The area has many intermittent lakes and streams.
