How to Use occasional in a Sentence

occasional

adjective
  • I need to take occasional breaks from work.
  • Most mornings, we'll see deer or the occasional bear walking past our house.
  • Sure, I drink an occasional glass of wine from time to time.
  • There will be occasional showers during the morning.
  • She receives occasional phone calls from her mother.
  • He tells an occasional joke to keep his students interested.
  • She's an occasional lecturer at the university.
  • Just time with his two sons, the occasional movie and maybe a road trip or two.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Rhule joined that, too, as an occasional co-host.
    — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
  • And then the occasional strip club that I was forced to go to.
    — Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Aphids, scale, and leaf rollers are occasional pests.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
  • But there is also the occasional heavy branch that must be sawed off.
    — Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2022
  • This corner of the state is known for the occasional mishap on four wheels.
    — Frederick Dreier, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025
  • There will be occasional light snow chances.
    — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
  • This along with the occasional scraping can be harsh on your nails.
    — Addie Morton, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2024
  • The air was still but for the scrape of boots on asphalt and the occasional call of a bird.
    — Longreads, 5 May 2022
  • All parts need to be hand-washed, and the carafe calls for occasional descaling.
    — Rennie Dyball, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
  • There is the occasional bad day, which is never her fault.
    — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Mild with occasional snow flurries, but calm most of the week.
    — Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • That could mean occasional bullpen days.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
  • These bracelets are not occasional pieces.
    — Malana Vantayler, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
  • But none was catching more than the occasional fish.
    — Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
  • When do most of us wear gowns outside of the occasional black tie wedding?
    — Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Such occasional lapses are easy enough to overlook in a book that moves so briskly.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
  • The fish swayed more gently with occasional bursts of quick movements when the lights were on.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Oct. 2023
  • Instead, the arcs in the sky are wispy white, with the occasional faint green color mixed in.
    — Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The occasional heavy rain is just too much for the land, and the soil can absorb only so much at once.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
  • But for the occasional straight hair look, most people can straighten their curly hair at home.
    — Grace McCarty, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Sure, there is the occasional thumbs-up button.
    — Lutz Finger, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • Long shoots can be exhausting, even with snack breaks and the occasional mishap.
    — Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'occasional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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