Continue

/kənˈtɪnjuː/

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonAction
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To persist in an activity or state; to remain in existence or operation.

/kənˈtɪnjuː/

verbneutralBeginner
Action

To proceed without stopping

The movie will continue after the intermission.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're reading a really good book and you don't want to stop! To continue means to keep going, like reading the next chapter.

👶 For kids: To keep doing something without stopping.

More Examples

2

The rain continued all night.

3

We decided to continue our journey despite the bad weather.

How It's Used

General

"She decided to continue her studies."

Business

"The company will continue its operations despite the challenges."

2

To extend or prolong in space or time; to maintain an unbroken existence.

/kənˈtɪnjuː/

verbneutralIntermediate
Action

To extend in time or space

The road continues for another 20 miles.

💡 Simply: Imagine a road; it continues, just keeps going and going. To continue, in this sense, means to stretch out or go on.

👶 For kids: To keep going on and on like a long road.

More Examples

2

The tradition has continued for generations.

3

The argument continued well into the night.

How It's Used

Geographic

"The forest continues for miles."

Literary

"The story continues into the next chapter."

Tip:Imagine a road that continues endlessly.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

Continue to be...

Describes the state that something or someone is in.

"He continues to be the top performer."

From Middle English continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre ('to join together, make continuous'), from continuus ('continuous').

The word 'continue' has been used since the 14th century to describe the act of going on or persisting in an action or state.

Memory tip

Think of a race; you continue running until the finish line.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to join together, make continuous"

continue to becontinue withcontinue the workcontinue the meetingcontinue to grow

Common misspellings

continecontunuecontinew

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written