incessantly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of incessantly
Explanation
Use the adverb incessantly to describe an action that continues or repeats without interruption. The neighbor's dog might bark incessantly in the morning, causing you to complain incessantly about the noise. The word incessantly usually indicates that there's something slightly irritating about whatever is happening. The person sitting next to you at the library might be incessantly drumming her fingers on the table. Your little sister might be incessantly singing Disney songs during a long car ride. On the other hand, incessantly can have a more positive meaning, indicating determination or drive. If you work incessantly to prepare for a big presentation, that’s a good thing!
Vocabulary lists containing incessantly
Fahrenheit 451
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Metamorphosis
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The Alchemist
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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.
The Wonderful Company, the corporate arm of Beverly Hills billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick, promotes itself incessantly as an exemplar of social responsibility and a guardian of sustainable agriculture.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
And while some of those aural elements still exist today, “Amores Perros” also serves as a time capsule of a city that has evolved and mutated incessantly.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
You’ve honed your craft, studied incessantly and brought every part of yourself to this character and this movie.
From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026
I spent days pressing a light-up toy when we said his name to draw his attention and babbled incessantly in his face so he could copy my lip patterns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025
My flash burns were minor but incessantly painful.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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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.