SAT Vocabulary: Understanding ‘Intermit’ for Exam Success
Learn the meaning, usage, and importance of ‘intermit’ for your SAT preparation. This video covers the word’s definition, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, and common usage errors to help boost your vocabulary and exam performance.
Imagine you’re studying for your SAT exam when suddenly your phone buzzes. You check it, reply to a message, then return to your books.
A few minutes later, it happens again. This intermittent distraction is a perfect example of our word for today: intermit.
Word type: Intermit is a verb.
Meaning: Intermit means to stop or pause something for a period of time, and then start or continue it again.
It refers to the act of suspending or interrupting an action temporarily, often in a recurring pattern.
Word history: The word intermit has Latin roots. It comes from the Latin word intermittere, which is formed by combining inter, meaning between, and mittere, meaning to send or let go.
This gives us the idea of letting go or pausing between periods of activity.
Antonyms: Some antonyms of intermit include continue, persist, and maintain.
Synonyms: Synonyms for intermit include pause, suspend, interrupt, and cease temporarily.
Examples use in sentences:
The old car’s engine would intermit, running smoothly for a while before sputtering and stopping. The student’s focus would intermit throughout the long lecture, drifting between attentiveness and daydreaming.
The hiker’s journey had to intermit due to sudden bursts of heavy rain. Common errors in use: One common mistake is confusing intermit with similar-sounding words like admit or omit.
Remember, intermit specifically relates to temporary pauses or interruptions. Another error is using intermit when a more common word like pause or stop would suffice.
Intermit often implies a recurring pattern of stopping and starting, not just a one-time interruption.
Mastering words like intermit can significantly boost your SAT score. By understanding its meaning, usage, and related words, you’re better equipped to recognize it in reading comprehension sections and use it effectively in your essays.
Keep building your vocabulary, and soon you’ll find your knowledge doesn’t intermit, but grows steadily towards SAT success.
