perseverate

[per-sev-uh-reyt]

verb (used without object)

perseverated, perseverating 

1. to repeat something insistently or redundantly.

   to perseverate in reminding children of their responsibilities.

Other Word Forms

• perseverative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perseverate¹

First recorded in 1910–15; back formation from perseveration

Example Sentences

Does she shrug stuff off, or perseverate at 3 a.m.?

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Moreover, this isn't just about finding something better to do than perseverate about an exclusion that won't actually happen.

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I don’t mean for you to clear your schedule and perseverate; quite the contrary.

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He would break things — “usually a lamp” — and perseverate on what seemed to him a streak of awful luck.

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“She tends to perseverate on contact with her family,” Smith said.

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Related Words

• carry on 
• carry over 
• continue 
• endure 
• go on 
• linger 
• persevere 
• prevail 
• pursue 
• recur 
• remain 

When To Use

What does perseverate mean?

To perseverate is to repeat something, such as words or actions, over and over again.Perseverate is used both in a general sense and in the more specific contexts of psychology and speech pathology. In this sense, the act of perseveration is the persistent repetition of a word, gesture, or act. This can be the result of a brain injury or a condition like schizophrenia.Example: I’m frustrated by the degree to which I have to perseverate just to get the students to follow simple rules.