persist

American  

[per-sist, -zist] / pərˈsɪst, -ˈzɪst /

verb (used without object)

1. to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance, etc..

   to persist in working for world peace;

   to persist in unpopular political activities.

2. to last or endure tenaciously.

   The legend of King Arthur has persisted for nearly fifteen centuries.

3. to be insistent in a statement, request, question, etc.

   Synonyms:

   insist

---

verb (used with object)

1. Computers. to cause (a record, configuration, value, etc.) to be written to permanent storage by the scripted process that created it, so that it continues to exist in the same state after the script has finished running.

persist British  

/ pəˈsɪst /

verb

1. (often foll by in) to continue steadfastly or obstinately despite opposition or difficulty

2. to continue to exist or occur without interruption

   the rain persisted throughout the night

---

Related Words

See continue.

Other Word Forms

• nonpersisting adjective
• persister noun
• persistingly adverb
• persistive adjective
• persistively adverb
• persistiveness noun
• unpersisting adjective

Etymology

Origin of persist

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin persistere, literally, “to stand firm permanently,” equivalent to per- per- ( def. ) + sistere “to (cause to) stand,” akin to stāre “to stand ( def. ) ”

Explanation

When someone persists they keep going or hang on. If you want to finish a marathon, you have to persist and keep running, no matter how many blisters you have. The great Roman poet Ovid once advised: “Endure and persist, this pain will turn good by and by.” As Ovid’s quote hints at, persistence is often associated with hardship and the reward that comes with not backing down. Synonyms include endure, follow through, and persevere, while antonyms include cease and give up.

Example Sentences

Those earlier regulations followed evidence that SCCPs can travel long distances, persist in the environment, and pose risks to human health.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Wang's death is the latest case to draw attention to the status of Chinese academics in the US as tensions between the two rival nations persist.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Unlike temporary spikes, structural-load increases from AI training clusters, EV-charging infrastructure, industrial heat pumps and manufacturing reshoring persist.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

But drastic deviations from long-term trends probably won’t persist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

They cannot persist without solace, without illusion, they are disordered before the naked picture of despair.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Related Words

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