persevere
Americanverb (used without object)
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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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have perseveredperfect
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has perseveredperfect 3rd person singular
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have been perseveringperfect progressive
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am perseveringprogressive 1st person singular
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is perseveringprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been perseveringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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perseveressingular 3rd person
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are perseveringprogressive
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perseveringparticiple
Past
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had perseveredperfect
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were perseveringprogressive plural
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had been perseveringperfect progressive
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perseveredsimple
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was perseveringprogressive singular
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perseveredparticiple
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.
One reason he resisted, Mr. Jarrett said, was his decision a few weeks earlier to sign up for a program called Persevere, out of curiosity.
From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2023
Executives at Persevere report recidivism in the single digits among participants who complete its program, with 93 percent placed in jobs and a 85 percent retention rate, defined as still working a year later.
From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2023
When he got off the phone call with the old friend, he called a mental health counselor at Persevere.
From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2023
Bookmark this page on the specific progs funded by Obamacare that are intended to slow growth in health care spending http://t.co/naPecNHy Persevere!
From Time • Jan. 28, 2013
Persevere, Kit," Peter said, "you're doing right in that matter.
From The Come Back by Wells, Carolyn
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.
