Persistently

/pərˈsɪstəntli/

adverbmedium📊CommonAcademic
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

In a way that continues firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

/pərˈsɪstəntli/

adverbneutralmedium
Academic

In a way that continues firmly or obstinately despite difficulty or opposition.

Despite the challenges, she persistently pursued her dream of becoming a doctor.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to build a tower of blocks, but it keeps falling over. If you keep trying, even when it's hard, you're working persistently. It's like never giving up!

👶 For kids: Doing something again and again, even when it's hard!

More Examples

2

The sales team persistently followed up on leads, eventually closing a significant deal.

3

The dog persistently barked at the mailman.

How It's Used

General

"The journalist persistently questioned the politician about the scandal."

Business

"The company persistently pursued new investment opportunities despite economic downturns."

Science

"The researchers persistently experimented until they found a breakthrough."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Antonyms

From Middle English *persisten*, from Latin *persistere* ('to continue steadfastly').

Used since the early 17th century, initially to describe actions continuing in time, and later the manner in which those actions were performed.

Memory tip

Think of someone sticking to their goal, even when things are tough. They persist *persistently*.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to continue steadfastly"

persistently pursuepersistently questionedpersistently triedpersistently pursuedpersistently advocating

Common misspellings

persistentlyepersistanly

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written