Dictionary

persevere en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌpɝ.səˈviɹ/ (General-American)
• /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English perseveren, from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre (“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”), from perseverus (“very strict or earnest”), from per (“through, by the means of”) + severus (“strict, earnest”). Doublet of perseverate.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To persist steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking, task, journey, or goal, even if hindered by distraction, difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement.
   • He is a trifle discouraged, but he perseveres. c. 1918, P. G. Wodehouse, The Agonies of Writing a Musical Comedy:
   • Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered in seeking it. 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:
   • I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
2. (copulative, intransitive, obsolete) To stay constant; to continue in a certain state; to remain.

Forms

Antonyms

yield · desist · give up · surrender · stop · quit · cease

Relateds

perseverance · perseverant

Synonyms

hold out · keep up · stick with it · keep a stiff upper lip · stick to · keep trying · persevere · stick by one's guns · soldier on · abide · stick to one's guns · hold the line · continue · stick it out · follow up · bear up · carry on · stick with · stay · stay the course · astand · plod · hold up · plug · endure · persist · plug away · stay the distance · hang in there · hold on · resist

Translations (47)

ko 견디다 (persist steadfastly) · ca perseverar (persist steadfastly) · de ausdauern (persist steadfastly) · it perseverare (persist steadfastly) · fi pitäytyä (persist steadfastly) · pl wytrwać (persist steadfastly) · la persevērō (persist steadfastly) · uk витримувати (persist steadfastly) · pt perseverar (persist steadfastly) · ro persevera (persist steadfastly) · hu kitart (persist steadfastly) · got 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 (persist steadfastly) · gd lean air (persist steadfastly) · ko 꿋꿋하다 (persist steadfastly) · he עמד (persist steadfastly) · bg упорствам (persist steadfastly) · cmn 堅持 /坚持 (persist steadfastly) · bg постоянствам (persist steadfastly) · is láta engan bilbug á sér finna (persist steadfastly) · fi jatkaa (persist steadfastly) · tr sebat etmek (persist steadfastly) · de durchhalten (persist steadfastly) · is halda ótrauður áfram (persist steadfastly) · fr persévérer (persist steadfastly) · nl doorzetten (persist steadfastly) · de standhaft bleiben (persist steadfastly) · ota قوغمق (persist steadfastly) · ko 계속(繼續)하다 (persist steadfastly) · ru упорствовать (persist steadfastly) · mi hohota (persist steadfastly) · ru добива́ться (persist steadfastly) · el αντέχω (persist steadfastly) · es perseverar (persist steadfastly) · ro stărui (persist steadfastly) · grc λιπαρέω (persist steadfastly) · gd cum ri (persist steadfastly) · de ausharren (persist steadfastly) · fi kestää (persist steadfastly) · sw kudumu (persist steadfastly) · is láta ekki deigan síga (persist steadfastly) · uk боротися (persist steadfastly) · de nicht aufgeben (persist steadfastly) · fo halda á (persist steadfastly) · is seiglast við (persist steadfastly) · sv framhärda (persist steadfastly) · pl dotrwać (persist steadfastly) · de beharren (persist steadfastly)