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.
Twenty-one percent of teens say they use TikTok almost constantly and 17% say the same for YouTube, versus 12% for Instagram and 3% for Facebook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Parton could have limited her tracks to farmers, coal miners, swing shifters, assembly line workers and other laborers whom country music constantly lionizes, and no one would have complained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
She said her landlord hasn’t fixed the washer and dryer on her floor in more than a year, and she’s constantly concerned about being forced out by rent hikes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
The jury was constantly supervised, and when a potential problem was identified, steps were immediately taken to prevent it becoming an actual issue.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
She constantly called out neighbors on overgrown grass, inappropriate paint colors, and too bright Christmas lights.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
