persevering

[ pur-suh-veer-ing ]

/ ˌpɜr səˈvɪər ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR persevering ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

displaying perseverance; resolutely persistent; steadfast: a persevering student.

QUIZZES

Fend Off Sciolism With This Word Of The Day Quiz

Are you the Cinderella of this week’s quiz? Test your memory on the words and definitions from March 23–29.

Question 1 of 7

schlep

to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly

to fold or wind around something

to carry; lug

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of persevering

First recorded in 1640–50; persevere + -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM persevering

per·se·ver·ing·ly, adverbnon·per·se·ver·ing, adjective

Words nearby persevering

perseus cluster, perseverance, perseverate, perseveration, persevere, persevering, pershing, pershing ii, pershing, john, persia, persian

Definition for persevering (2 of 2)

persevere

[ pur-suh-veer ]

/ ˌpɜr səˈvɪər /

verb (used without object), per·se·vered, per·se·ver·ing.

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), per·se·vered, per·se·ver·ing.

to bolster, sustain, or uphold: unflagging faith that had persevered him.

Origin of persevere

1325–75; Middle English perseveren < Middle French perseverer < Latin persevērāre to persist, derivative of persevērus very strict. See per-, severe

synonym study for persevere

1. See continue.

Example sentences from the Web for persevering

Persevering on hearsay, spun and shifted from every possible angle, the narrator next describes Golovan—a brawny man, with a limp.
The Forgotten Russian: The Genius of Nikolai Leskov|Benjamin Lytal|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And yet she chose to write her essay about giving up on ballet, rather than persevering once she'd tired of it.
How to Write a Winning Ivy League Essay|Kathleen Kingsbury|October 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The man who is sober and persevering, economical and honest, is almost sure to succeed.
In Search of the Castaways|Jules Verne
The cat, uninterested, was consulting her own comfort, and the cricket was persevering for ever in his original statement.
When Ghost Meets Ghost|William Frend De Morgan

She admired his persevering industry, but had begun to feel that he was slipping away from her and devoting himself to his farm.
The Girl From Keller's|Harold Bindloss
He was a man of no great personal valor, but patient, persevering, and submissive to minds superior to his own.
The Usurper|Judith Gautier
It must depend upon your persevering spirit and firm hand that they do not fail in practice.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 3, September 1864|Various

British Dictionary definitions for persevering

persevere

/ (ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪə) /

verb

(intr often foll by in) to show perseverance

Derived forms of persevere

persevering, adjectiveperseveringly, adverb

Word Origin for persevere

C14: from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre, from perseverus very strict; see severe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012