persevere
English
Alternative forms
- perservere (nonstandard)
- persever (obsolete)
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”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌpɝ.səˈviɹ/
- Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
Audio (Berkshire, England) (file)
Verb
persevere (third-person singular simple present perseveres, present participle persevering, simple past and past participle persevered)
- (intransitive) To persist steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking, task, journey, or goal, even if hindered by distraction, difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement.
- 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]:
- I will persevere in
my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore
between that and my blood.
- 1817 December, [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 1818, →OCLC:
- Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered in seeking it.
- c. 1918, P. G. Wodehouse, "The Agonies of Writing a Musical Comedy":
- He is a trifle discouraged, but he perseveres.
-
- (intransitive, copulative, obsolete) To stay constant; to continue in a certain state; to remain.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:persevere
Related terms
Translations
persist steadfastly
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Further reading
- persevere in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- “persevere”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- persevere at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
Portuguese
Verb
persevere
- inflection of perseverar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /peɾseˈbeɾe/ [peɾ.seˈβ̞e.ɾe]
- Rhymes: -eɾe
- Syllabification: per‧se‧ve‧re
Verb
persevere
- inflection of perseverar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
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