persevere
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.
-
to persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.; insist.
verb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What does persevere mean? To persevere is to continue to do or try to achieve something despite difficulty or discouragement. A close synonym is persist. The word is typically used in a positive way to refer to the actions of someone who doesn’t give up no matter what. A person perseveres when they keep trying despite major challenges and setbacks. The noun perseverance refers to the act of persevering or the quality of those who persevere, as in You showed great perseverance by recovering from your injury to compete at an even higher level. The adjective persevering can be used to describe those who persevere or their actions, as in Without the persevering efforts of our first responders, we would not have been able to save so many lives. Example: Only if we work hard and persevere will we be able to achieve our goal—it will not be easy.
Synonym Usage
See continue.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
perseveresimple
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perseveressimple
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have perseveredperfect
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has perseveredperfect
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am perseveringprogressive
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are perseveringprogressive
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is perseveringprogressive
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have been perseveringperfect progressive
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has been perseveringperfect progressive
Past
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perseveredsimple
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had perseveredperfect
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was perseveringprogressive
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were perseveringprogressive
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had been perseveringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of persevere
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English perseveren, from Middle French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre “to persist,” derivative of persevērus “very strict”; see per-, severe
Explanation
Use the verb persevere when you want to persist in anything and continue despite difficulties or obstacles. The verb persevere comes from the Latin root persevereus which means "continue steadfastly, persist" and that word comes from two others, per- for "very" and severus for "strict." So, today, the connotation of the word is to persist in a methodical way despite obstacles or distractions. You can see the relationship between persevere and perseverate, which means "to persistently repeat something," and that word is a medical term used to describe stuttering.
Vocabulary lists containing persevere
List 2
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Things Fall Apart
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A Christmas Carol
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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.
See Examples For:
Driving around town, looking at the lots and the wreckage, Cooley says he started to notice the bits of nature that were trying to persevere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
They’re human; they want and need, betray and boast, and persevere against the unknown in ways that we all are right now.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
You've got to work hard and do it yourself and persevere at the end of the day, and if you keep working hard it will pay off.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Apple iPhone sales outperformed competitors in China, new data show, signaling the company’s ability to persevere against a volatile industry backdrop.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
“I don’t think life is necessarily fair. But if you persevere, you can overcome adversity. It has to do with a person’s willingness to work hard, and I think it’s always been that way.”
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
But he perseveres in the hope of striking it rich.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025
It was an appropriate ending for the Carson, Calif., product who continues to be tested — and repeatedly perseveres.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024
Still, Ellis perseveres, hoping that if he makes it through, that triumph can begin to repair the rift with the mother he still deeply loves.
From New York Times ● Sep. 9, 2022
Fortunately, the rock hasn't caused any damage to Perseverance, though it has certainly lived up to its owner as it perseveres in clinging to the rover after so many miles.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2022
He finds watercolors difficult, but with Mauves tutelage he perseveres.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Guthrie has persevered through the challenges “Today” has faced over her tenure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026
“I really gritted my teeth and persevered for 30 years before finally becoming prime minister,” Takaichi said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
Treasury 30-year bond when it topped 5% and he has persevered with that, enjoying limited success.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026
He said his father "persevered through pain" following the death of Daniel, who collapsed and died suddenly when he was 15 from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
“You can read, though, can’t you?” the colonel persevered sarcastically.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
"The work you do in there isn't easy -- the dust, the smell of dead people who are already decomposing. But here we are, persevering," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Ms. Alexander, deservedly Oscar-nominated for the role, creates a grounded, subtle portrait of persevering motherhood, Carol’s husband never having returned from San Francisco and very likely dead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
"It just goes to show you... just to keep persevering, my team and everybody behind me, it means so much to come away as Olympic champion."
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
For this, we should look to King for hope and guidance on persevering amid adversity.
From Salon ● Jan. 19, 2026
On Miss Lucas’s persevering, however, she added, “Very well; if it must be so, it must.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
