constantly
Americanadverb
-
without pausing; unceasingly.
Add the milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly.
-
regularly or frequently; consistently.
The charts have to be updated every few years as the geomagnetic field is changing constantly.
We need to be constantly vigilant if we do not want the clutter to get out of hand.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of constantly
Explanation
When something happens constantly, it never stops or changes. If you sister constantly complains that she's hungry, she is always insisting that she's starving. If your dog barks constantly when he's in the car, he doesn't stop until you reach your destination, and if you're constantly thinking about your upcoming trip to France, you can't ever get it out of your head. The adverb constantly comes from constant, or "continual," which is rooted in the Latin constantem, "standing firm, stable, steadfast, or faithful."
Vocabulary lists containing constantly
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.
But how do you deal with co-workers who constantly complain about relatively minor things and manage to make every meeting miserable?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
And that can lead to repeat visits from guests, who want to feel like they’re in a constantly changing world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
This one is focused on how lonely many of us are despite being constantly connected with everyone in our lives through our phones, and proposes a way to change it.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
Alma Ronen has been fighting in the Israeli military nearly constantly for more than two years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Why were some children lucky and loved wholly and constantly and others left to scramble for shards of affection?
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
