Synonyms

persist

American

[per-sist, -zist] / pərˈsɪst, -ˈzɪst /

verb (used without object)

to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance, etc..

to persist in working for world peace;
to persist in unpopular political activities.
to last or endure tenaciously.

The legend of King Arthur has persisted for nearly fifteen centuries.
to be insistent in a statement, request, question, etc.

Synonyms:

insist

verb (used with object)

Computers. to cause (a record, configuration, value, etc.) to be written to permanent storage by the scripted process that created it, so that it continues to exist in the same state after the script has finished running.

persist British

/ pəˈsɪst /

verb

(often foll by in) to continue steadfastly or obstinately despite opposition or difficulty
to continue to exist or occur without interruption

the rain persisted throughout the night

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See continue.

Other Word Forms

nonpersisting adjective
persister noun
persistingly adverb
persistive adjective
persistively adverb
persistiveness noun
unpersisting adjective

Etymology

Origin of persist

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin persistere, literally, “to stand firm permanently,” equivalent to per- per- ( def. ) + sistere “to (cause to) stand,” akin to stāre “to stand ( def. ) ”

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 structural tailwinds that have driven both of these to record highs this year persist, be it central bank demand for gold or surging industrial demand for silver," said Neil Wilson at Saxo Markets.

From Barron's

If a tie persists, then number of league assists are counted, and then least penalties scored.

From BBC

One of the less romantic realities of long-term relationships is that they persist because of our choices, not our feelings.

From MarketWatch

Concerns persist regarding the sustainability of the AI investment boom, high valuations of megacap tech stocks, and a potential unwinding of the yen carry trade.

From Barron's

Tensions also persist between China and Japan, as well as in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the analyst notes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023