everlasting
Americanadjective
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lasting forever; eternal.
everlasting future life.
- Antonyms:
- transitory
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lasting or continuing for an indefinitely long time.
the everlasting hills.
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incessant; constantly recurring.
He is plagued by everlasting attacks of influenza.
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wearisome; tedious.
She tired of his everlasting puns.
noun
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eternal duration; eternity.
What is the span of one life compared with the everlasting?
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the Everlasting, God.
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any of various plants that retain their shape or color when dried, as certain composite plants of the genera Helichrysum, Gnaphalium, and Helipterum.
adjective
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never coming to an end; eternal
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lasting for an indefinitely long period
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lasting so long or occurring so often as to become tedious; incessant
I cannot bear her everlasting complaints
noun
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endless duration; eternity
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Also called: everlasting flower. another name for immortelle See also cat's-foot
Related Words
See eternal.
Other Word Forms
- everlastingly adverb
- everlastingness noun
- quasi-everlasting adjective
- quasi-everlastingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of everlasting
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at ever, lasting
Explanation
Something that's everlasting is eternal; it lasts forever, or seems like it does. Many anti-war activists dream of everlasting peace. The adjective everlasting can literally mean exactly what it sounds like, but it's frequently used colloquially to exaggerate. You might compliment your friend's speech by saying, "You have my everlasting respect," or describe a lovely day by saying, "It's been like an everlasting dream." In a religious context, the word is used quite literally: "God promises everlasting life."
Vocabulary lists containing everlasting
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.
The names of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Craig Bellamy revered as everlasting icons of Welsh football.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
While reiterating her "everlasting solidarity" with the Cuban people, the president added, "We don't want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs."
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
She became someone who needed protecting, a figure whose memory is in need of constant, everlasting protection.
From Salon • Jan. 6, 2026
It’s the confrontation between a sensibility and the abyss, not just touching the edge but coming away with a song, that makes a person seem everlasting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
Nothing could have been better calculated to activate all of Jefferson’s interior antennae, since his primacy as the author of the Declaration was his major claim to everlasting fame.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
