occasional

occasional — 形容詞

1. describing something that you do, see, or experience only a few times — with lon

1.形容詞C1
釋義

偶爾的

間隔不固定、次數不多的

describing something that you do, see, or experience only a few times — with long, uneven gaps between each time, rather than on any fixed schedule.

例句

Mei treated herself to an occasional glass of red wine on Friday evenings.

美在每週五晚上會偶爾犒賞自己一杯紅酒。

attributive: an occasional + countable noun

The forecast warned of occasional showers across Taipei throughout the weekend.

氣象預報指出，週末整個臺北地區會不時出現陣雨。

weather collocation: occasional showers / rain

同義詞
  • infrequent

    more formal; emphasises low total count rather than irregular spacing

  • intermittent

    stresses starting and stopping repeatedly, often of signals, pain, or rain

  • sporadic

    unpredictable timing, often with a slightly negative tone (sporadic violence, outages)

  • periodic

    happens at roughly regular gaps, unlike 'occasional' which is irregular

反義詞
  • frequent

    direct opposite — happens often

  • regular

    happens on a fixed schedule

  • constant

    happens all the time without breaks

文法句型

occasional + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used before a noun, not after a linking verb — say 'an occasional headache', not '*the headache was occasional*'. Distinguish from 'rare' (even less frequent, often surprising) and 'frequent' (the direct opposite).

常見錯誤

❌My visits to the gym are occasional.
✅I make occasional visits to the gym.
💡'occasional' normally sits before the noun, not after a linking verb.
❌She drinks coffee occasional.
✅She drinks coffee occasionally.
💡for 'sometimes' as an adverb, use 'occasionally', not 'occasional'.