incessant
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of incessant
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English incessaunte, from Late Latin incessant-, equivalent to Latin in- negative prefix + cessant- (stem of cessāns ), present participle of cessāre “to stop work”; see in- 3, cease, -ant
Explanation
Something incessant continues without interruption. When you're on a cross-country flight, it's tough to tolerate the incessant crying of a baby. In Latin, cessare means "to stop," so when you add the negative prefix in-, you get a word meaning "never stopping." A near synonym is continual, but something incessant is more relentless; ceaseless is a closer synonym. It's rare to find incessant used in a positive way. Even incessant sunshine would grow boring.
Vocabulary lists containing incessant
Do-Over: Words For Groundhog Day
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The Diary of a Young Girl
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List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Incessant scrolling, posting and the rapid, gluttonous consumption of that awful word, “content,” fatigues all of us, whether we admit it or not.
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025
Incessant giggling was the best way to process her outrageous stat line: 41 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds.
From Washington Post • Mar. 27, 2023
Incessant rains in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, had caused the Talek River to flood.
From BBC • Sep. 30, 2021
Incessant whining by players to a level that’s akin to an NBA star crying foul every time he misses a shot doesn’t help.
From Golf Digest • Mar. 5, 2019
Incessant labour and scrupulous parsimony soon accumulated for him a capital; and the store, gathered together with such energy, was a rapidly increasing one.
From Knowledge is Power: A View of the Productive Forces of Modern Society and the Results of Labor, Capital and Skill. by Knight, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
