enduring
Americanadjective
-
lasting; permanent.
a poet of enduring greatness.
-
patient; long-suffering.
adjective
-
permanent; lasting
-
having forbearance; long-suffering
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of enduring
Explanation
Many people have an enduring love for ice cream, that is, they have loved it for a long time and will continue to love it into the future. Enduring means long-lasting. Enduring has roots that go back about 1,500 years to the Late Latin period. It is quite an enduring word! The original root meant hard, so your enduring friendship or your enduring interest in sports is solid enough to stand the test of time. Besides meaning long-lasting, enduring sometimes means long-suffering as when someone has an enduring disposition, but this meaning is found in the verb more than in the adjective.
Vocabulary lists containing enduring
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
There is no hard evidence of any enduring romantic attachment, and Ms. Lee suspects Brookner’s career may have been held back by misogynistic male superiors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Ambassador Rod Brazier said the countries were "enduring friends" and recalled support that Indonesia sent to help battle Australia's own devastating bushfires in 2020.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
US First Lady Melania Trump called for a "more enduring" ceasefire in Ukraine as she welcomed Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House following last week's truce in the southern region of Kherson.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Their pain is real and enduring, and surely there will be some who feel Newsom’s decision robs them of some sort of final resolution.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
He could not imagine the suffering Kathy was enduring now.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
