comes and goes
Appears then vanishes
Something that comes and goes appears intermittently rather than remaining constant.
Pain comes and goes, interest comes and goes, inspiration comes and goes.
The phrase describes anything that arrives, departs, and returns in cycles: The cell signal comes and goes out here.
It often implies unpredictability or unreliability.
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- intermittentOccurring at irregular intervals
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
sporadic · now and then · impermanence · evanescent · passing fancy · fluctuating · waxing and waning · cyclical · periodic · recurring · fitful · occasional · ebb and flow · rolling waves · seasons · irregular · tides · inconsistent