once in a while
Now and then
Once in a while means occasionally or from time to time—not regularly, but not rarely either.
It suggests something happens at irregular intervals: Once in a while I'll treat myself to dessert.
The phrase implies modest frequency, more often than once in a blue moon but less than often.
- every so oftenAt scattered intervals
- infrequentlyNot happening often
- now and againAt irregular intervals
- off and onIntermittent in occurrence
- here and thereIn various places
at times · rarely · seldom · uncommonly · hardly · irregularly · every now and then · treat · scattered · whim · fleeting · blue moon · special occasion · spontaneous · random · chance · surprise · unpredictable
- phrasesnoun phrases, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, prepositional phrases
- time phrasesall day, all night, for now, in time, on time
- frequency wordsalways, never, often, usually, rarely
- infrequencyrarely, seldom, infrequent, infrequently, uncommon
- rarityrare, scarce, uncommon, infrequent, scant
- time expressionsnow, today, soon, tomorrow, later
frequency
once in a whileconstantly
At all times
always · all the time · continuously · perpetually · incessantly
once, while, sometimes, occasionally, now and then, periodically, intermittently, from time to time, sporadically