Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SPORADIC
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pronounce
SPORADIC:
Say it "spore ADD ick."
Or, to sound more relaxed, "spuh RAD ick."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Molds, mosses, and mushrooms are literally sporadic. They grow from spores, widely scattered seed-like bits that form random-looking clusters.
Compare those to iris, ginger, and bamboo, which aren't sporadic but rather rh____atic. They grow from rh___mes, long horizontal underground stems that form dense, hard-to-kill networks. Can you recall those terms?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
In Greek, spora means "a seed," and sporas means "scattered, like seeds."
So you can see why our English word "spore" means "the seed-like part of a plant (or a fungus) that helps it reproduce."
When we think of spores, we often think of molds or mushrooms: living things that grow by scattering themselves in a way that can seem (to our eyes, at least) to be random or irregular.
So, something sporadic happens in a random, irregular, occasional, or scattered way (and not in a planned, scheduled way).
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "sporadic gunfire," "a bad night of sporadic sleep," "sporadic bursts of ambition."
Other forms:
The adverb is "sporadically:" "The law was enforced sporadically;" "She worked--sporadically, though."
how to use it:
"Sporadic" is a sophisticated word, but it's common and easily understood.
You might pick it instead of "fitful," "spotty," "scattered," and "random" when you need a serious or formal tone.
Talk about sporadic events and behaviors, like sporadic fights, dates, visits, meetings, incidents, protests, attempts, efforts, etc.
examples:
"He hit my mom once, then the next time was three years later, and it was just a little bit worse. Then it was two years later, and it was just a little bit worse. Then it was a year later, and it was just a little bit worse. It was sporadic enough to where you'd think it wouldn't happen again, but it was frequent enough that you never forgot it was possible."
— Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, 2016
Tai: "Cher, I don't wanna do this anymore, and my buns, they don't feel nothing like steel."
Cher: "Okay, it will get easier, I promise. Just as long as we do it every day. Not just sporadically."
Tai: "How do you know if we're doing it sporadically?"
— Amy Heckerling, Clueless, 1994
has this page helped you understand "sporadic"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "sporadic" without saying "irregular" or "occasional."
try it out:
Talk about a goal or an activity that you pursue sporadically. What stops you from pursuing it regularly?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Crossword Clues: Defining by Rhyming!
Check out the given term, and try to complete the definition by supplying a missing rhyming word. For example, if I give you "bevy = _ _ _ _ herd," then you give me "bird," because a bevy is a bird herd. To peek at the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
bailiwick = own _ _ _ _
review this word:
A. PLANNED or DELIBERATE.
B. REGULAR or CONTINUOUS.
C. SPASMODIC or ON-AGAIN-OFF-AGAIN.
2.
The song opens with sporadic chords that _____.
A. punctuate the melody in random bursts
B. support the melody with a quiet, flowing grace
C. melt into each other seamlessly and resonate richly, as if through a cathedral
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Molds, mosses, and mushrooms are literally sporadic. They grow from spores, widely scattered seed-like bits that form random-looking clusters.
In Greek, spora means "a seed," and sporas means "scattered, like seeds."
Part of speech:
"Sporadic" is a sophisticated word, but it's common and easily understood.
"He hit my mom once, then the next time was three years later, and it was just a little bit worse. Then it was two years later, and it was just a little bit worse. Then it was a year later, and it was just a little bit worse. It was sporadic enough to where you'd think it wouldn't happen again, but it was frequent enough that you never forgot it was possible."
Explain the meaning of "sporadic" without saying "irregular" or "occasional."
Talk about a goal or an activity that you pursue sporadically. What stops you from pursuing it regularly?
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |