View synonyms for persevere

persevere

[ pur-suh-veer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

, per·se·vered, per·se·ver·ing.

to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.
to persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.; insist.

verb (used with object)

, per·se·vered, per·se·ver·ing.

to bolster, sustain, or uphold:
unflagging faith that had persevered him.

persevere

/ ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪə /

verb

introften foll byin to show perseverance

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Derived Forms

ˌperseˈveringly, adverb
ˌperseˈvering, adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of persevere¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English perseveren, from Middle French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre “to persist,” derivative of persevērus “very strict”; per-, severe

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Word History and Origins

Origin of persevere¹

C14: from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre, from perseverus very strict; see severe

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Synonym Study

See continue.

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Example Sentences

The person jogging alone on the treadmill, a person persevering in the loneliness of our times.

From The Daily Beast

These are characters who keep going, who endure and persevere and keep fighting.

From Washington Post

While some have persevered in the face of these looming obstacles, survivors and descendants are still waiting for justice.

From Time

The theater industry has persevered through a catastrophic year during which they had no mainstream movies to show.

From Quartz

I have invested so much time, energy, and love in my crew team and they have in turn given me friendship, trust, and the strength to persevere through everything life has thrown my way.

From Washington Blade

There have been many struggles, trials, battles, and losses through which my name has helped me persevere.

From The Daily Beast

She writes of the struggles, battles, and losses through which her name has helped her persevere—to the role that made her famous.

From The Daily Beast

I wrote about the motivations of businessmen, and their determination to persevere.

From The Daily Beast

“The secret of her success and survival is her enormous ability to persevere,” Grubman says.

From The Daily Beast

These are very determined and deliberate people who will almost always persevere no matter what impediments we place in their way.

From The Daily Beast

The friends of truth cannot justifiably persevere in supporting the British Constitution as the ordinance of God.

From Project Gutenberg

All that is necessary is to persevere faithfully in the ordinary duties of life, and to perform them to the best of our ability.

From Project Gutenberg

By exerting myself to persevere for about a month, I was enabled to feel perfectly resigned.

From Project Gutenberg

Tidings of the repulse were brought to Pitt; he sent reinforcements and ordered the commander to persevere.

From Project Gutenberg

What do girls amount to who think only of their own pleasure, and never persevere to the successful end?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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More About Persevere

What does persevere mean?

To persevere is to continue to do or try to achieve something despite difficulty or discouragement. A close synonym is persist.

The word is typically used in a positive way to refer to the actions of someone who doesn’t give up no matter what. A person perseveres when they keep trying despite major challenges and setbacks.

The noun perseverance refers to the act of persevering or the quality of those who persevere, as in You showed great perseverance by recovering from your injury to compete at an even higher level.

The adjective persevering can be used to describe those who persevere or their actions, as in Without the persevering efforts of our first responders, we would not have been able to save so many lives.

Example: Only if we work hard and persevere will we be able to achieve our goal—it will not be easy.

Where does persevere come from?

The first records of the word persevere come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin persevērāre, meaning “to persist,” from persevērus, “very strict.”

Persevering takes strict discipline. People who persevere may want to give up, but they keep going. Perseverance is often associated with other qualities that are thought to be essential for achieving success, like patience and a willingness to work hard. But persevering is more than working hard—it’s continuing to work hard even after failing.

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What are some other forms related to persevere?

perseverance (verb)
persevering (continuous tense verb, adjective)

What are some synonyms for persevere?

persist
endure
keep going
press on

What are some words that share a root or word element with persevere?

What are some words that often get used in discussing persevere?

How is persevere used in real life?

Persevere is almost always used positively. Persevering is often associated with patience and courage.

“I don’t pray for the absence of hardship anymore. It’s inescapable.

I prepare myself to persevere, get knocked over, and get back up again.

I recognize that my hardships have molded me into a better man.”

⚡️My latest. https://t.co/lZrv4EcOGV pic.twitter.com/uneLytq64o

— love yourself. (@MichellCClark) January 30, 2018

Shout out to everyone going through life-altering mind-bending brain-inverting inside-out challenges. I’m right there with you. The only way out is through. You will persevere, and no mater what happens, you will be changed, and toughened ♥️

— Dr. Sarah "Practically Famous" Parcak (@indyfromspace) September 13, 2020

Try using persevere!

Which of the following terms is NOT a synonym of persevere?

A. persist
B. quit
C. press on
D. endure

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