incessant
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incessant
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English incessaunte, from Late Latin incessant-, equivalent to Latin in- negative prefix + cessant- (stem of cessāns ), present participle of cessāre “to stop work”; see in- 3, cease, -ant
Explanation
Something incessant continues without interruption. When you're on a cross-country flight, it's tough to tolerate the incessant crying of a baby. In Latin, cessare means "to stop," so when you add the negative prefix in-, you get a word meaning "never stopping." A near synonym is continual, but something incessant is more relentless; ceaseless is a closer synonym. It's rare to find incessant used in a positive way. Even incessant sunshine would grow boring.
Vocabulary lists containing incessant
Do-Over: Words For Groundhog Day
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The Diary of a Young Girl
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List 8
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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.
It feels inevitable that I’ve started to internalize its ticks, even the most infamous ones, like incessant em-dashing and overreliance on the “It’s not x but y” structure.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Geopolitical gyrations, volatile short-term economic data and the incessant thrum of prediction markets all contribute to the cacophony,” to the point that many investors feel compelled to stick to the AI trade, she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
What about the incessant noise of social media?
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Obsession” desperately wants to be a modern film, but can’t do anything more bold than gesturing to the bleakness and incessant discourse this reality is mired in.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
Instead of the chatter of schoolkids arriving after a summer vacation, the only thing I could hear was the incessant beeping of those scary machines.
From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea
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.
