everlasting
Americanadjective
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lasting forever; eternal.
everlasting future life.
- Antonyms:
- transitory
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lasting or continuing for an indefinitely long time.
the everlasting hills.
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incessant; constantly recurring.
He is plagued by everlasting attacks of influenza.
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wearisome; tedious.
She tired of his everlasting puns.
noun
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eternal duration; eternity.
What is the span of one life compared with the everlasting?
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the Everlasting, God.
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any of various plants that retain their shape or color when dried, as certain composite plants of the genera Helichrysum, Gnaphalium, and Helipterum.
adjective
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never coming to an end; eternal
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lasting for an indefinitely long period
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lasting so long or occurring so often as to become tedious; incessant
I cannot bear her everlasting complaints
noun
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endless duration; eternity
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Also called: everlasting flower. another name for immortelle See also cat's-foot
Related Words
See eternal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of everlasting
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at ever, lasting
Explanation
Something that's everlasting is eternal; it lasts forever, or seems like it does. Many anti-war activists dream of everlasting peace. The adjective everlasting can literally mean exactly what it sounds like, but it's frequently used colloquially to exaggerate. You might compliment your friend's speech by saying, "You have my everlasting respect," or describe a lovely day by saying, "It's been like an everlasting dream." In a religious context, the word is used quite literally: "God promises everlasting life."
Vocabulary lists containing everlasting
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 everlasting draw of “The Forsyte Saga” to both men and women, then, is in the way these stories capture the plight of patriarchal pressures, spoken and implied.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
With both films, art transforms grief into something everlasting.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026
While reiterating her "everlasting solidarity" with the Cuban people, the president added, "We don't want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs."
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
It’s the confrontation between a sensibility and the abyss, not just touching the edge but coming away with a song, that makes a person seem everlasting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
I was the clumsiest, worst party butler Mrs. Dawson ever had, and to her everlasting credit, she did not fire me right away.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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.
