persist

American

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

verb (used without object)

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.
to last or endure tenaciously.

The legend of King Arthur has persisted for nearly fifteen centuries.
to be insistent in a statement, request, question, etc.

Synonyms:

insist

verb (used with object)

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

(often foll by in) to continue steadfastly or obstinately despite opposition or difficulty
to continue to exist or occur without interruption

the rain persisted throughout the night

"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

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. ) ”

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.

Talks about the potential end of the conflict led stocks to rise Tuesday, but it remains unclear whether higher food prices could persist for months or longer.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

What will be the ripple effects if global helium shortages persist in the long term?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

“As we’ve seen over the last couple of years, there’s been wavering confidence that demand will persist in the long run, causing the market to selloff.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Cutting rates to support growth could allow price pressures to persist.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

She turned her head away sharply, and when he seemed likely to persist, raised her bound hands to foil his assist.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023