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.
The specifics change—laws, technologies, tastes—but the underlying challenge remains the same: how to survive in a country that is constantly remaking itself.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Like all those outside, he worries constantly for his immediate family, who luckily all survived the war.
From Barron's • May 9, 2026
Nutrients must travel through cells, proteins need to fold correctly, and molecules constantly diffuse through watery environments.
From Science Daily • May 8, 2026
"I spent 12 years in pain, hiding myself, and praying constantly for children - at last, Allah heard me."
From BBC • May 8, 2026
He needed someone to watch him, think about him constantly, and keep him safe.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
