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
- overconstantly adverb
- quasi-constantly adverb
- unconstantly adverb
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.
Péter Magyar defeated him because he carried a Hungarian flag to every rally, because he proclaimed an inclusive, less exclusive national message, and perhaps above all because Hungarians felt exhausted by being constantly in conflict.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
Those buying oil and gas have to constantly import more.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
“This is a complex community that is constantly growing. It’s diverse: geographically, culturally and generationally.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
They spend hours in lines, piecing together meals from whatever they can find, constantly worrying about what to put on the kitchen table tomorrow.
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026
Given the extreme weather conditions that constantly plague the area around where both the Erebus and the Terror lie, excavating the wrecks present an enormous challenge.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
