every once in a while
Now and then
Every once in a while means occasionally or from time to time—not regularly, but not rarely either.
It suggests intermittent recurrence without predictable pattern: Every once in a while I'll treat myself to a nice dinner.
The phrase emphasizes that something happens, just not often.
- occasionallyAt infrequent intervals
- sometimesAt irregular intervals
- now and thenAt infrequent intervals
- infrequentlyNot happening often
- now and againAt irregular intervals
seldom · from time to time · at times · intermittently · episodically · irregularly · sporadically · in fits and starts · periodically · on and off · rarely · few and far between · off and on · here and there · unpredictably · once in a blue moon · hit or miss · casually
frequency
every once in a whileconstantly
At all times
always · never · continuously · all the time · perpetually
every, while, whiles, awhile, forever, whoever, whatever, whenever, wherever