persistent
Americanadjective
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persisting, especially in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc.; persevering.
a most annoyingly persistent young man.
- Synonyms:
- tenacious, pertinacious, indefatigable
-
lasting or enduring tenaciously.
the persistent aroma of verbena; a persistent cough.
-
constantly repeated; continued.
persistent noise.
- Antonyms:
- sporadic
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Biology.
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continuing or permanent.
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having continuity of phylogenetic characteristics.
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Botany. remaining attached beyond the usual time, as flowers, flower parts, or leaves.
adjective
-
showing persistence
-
incessantly repeated; unrelenting
your persistent questioning
-
(of plant parts) remaining attached to the plant after the normal time of withering
a fruit surrounded by a persistent perianth
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zoology
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(of parts normally present only in young stages) present in the adult
persistent gills in axolotls
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continuing to grow or develop after the normal period of growth
persistent teeth
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(of a chemical, esp when used as an insecticide) slow to break down; not easily degradable
Related Words
See stubborn.
Other Word Forms
- nonpersistent adjective
- nonpersistently adverb
- persistently adverb
Etymology
Origin of persistent
First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin persistent- (stem of persistēns ), present participle of persistere “to stand firm, persist”; persist, -ent
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.
Elsewhere in the UK, the persistent rain over recent weeks has resulted in ongoing flooding with no significant let up expected until the middle of next month at the earliest.
From BBC
Likewise, the Fed’s staff inflation forecast described an interval of more persistent, above-target inflation as “a salient risk,” according to the minutes.
Minutes of the January meeting show officials thought that the labor market looked better and that “the risk of more persistent inflation remained.”
From MarketWatch
Minutes of the January meeting show officials thought that the labor market looked better and that “the risk of more persistent inflation remained.”
From MarketWatch
Those balances can lead to a persistent cycle that’s difficult to unwind, increasing the risk that savings will be drawn down faster than planned.
From MarketWatch
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.
