Meanings
present singular third person perseveres · participle present persevering · participle past persevered · past persevered · alternative perservere · alternative persever
- intransitiveTo persist steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking, task, journey, or goal, even if hindered by distraction, difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement.
He is a trifle discouraged, but he perseveres.
c. 1918, P. G. Wodehouse, The Agonies of Writing a Musical Comedy2 more examples
I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered in seeking it.
1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter I, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpersevērāre“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”
- Old Frenchperseverer
- Middle Englishperseveren
- Englishpersevere
From Middle English perseveren, from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre (“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”), from perseverus (“very strict or earnest”), from per (“through, by the means of”) + severus (“strict, earnest”). Doublet of perseverate.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λιπαρέω
- λιπαρέω (liparéō)persist steadfastly
Bulgarian постоянствам, упорствам
- постоянствам (postojanstvam)persist steadfastly
- упорствам (uporstvam)persist steadfastly
Catalan perseverar
- perseverarpersist steadfastly
Chinese Mandarin 堅持 /坚持
- 堅持 /坚持 (jiānchí)persist steadfastly
Dutch doorzetten
- doorzettenpersist steadfastly
Finnish kestää, jatkaa
- kestääpersist steadfastly
- jatkaapersist steadfastly
- pitäytyäpersist steadfastly
French persévérer
- persévérerpersist steadfastly
German ausdauern, ausharren
- ausdauernpersist steadfastly
- ausharrenpersist steadfastly
- beharrenpersist steadfastly
- durchhaltenpersist steadfastly
- standhaft bleibenpersist steadfastly
- nicht aufgebenpersist steadfastly
Greek αντέχω
- αντέχω (antécho)persist steadfastly
Hebrew עמד
- עמד (amád)persist steadfastly
Hungarian kitart
- kitartpersist steadfastly
Icelandic halda ótrauður áfram, seiglast við
- halda ótrauður áframpersist steadfastly
- seiglast viðpersist steadfastly
- láta ekki deigan sígapersist steadfastly
- láta engan bilbug á sér finnapersist steadfastly
Italian perseverare
- perseverarepersist steadfastly
Korean 견디다, 계속(繼續)하다
- 견디다 (gyeondida)persist steadfastly
- 계속(繼續)하다 (gyesokhada)persist steadfastly
- 꿋꿋하다 (kkutkkuthada)persist steadfastly
Latin persevērō
- persevērōpersist steadfastly
Māori hohota
- hohotapersist steadfastly
Polish wytrwać, dotrwać
- wytrwaćpersist steadfastly
- dotrwaćpersist steadfastly
Portuguese perseverar
- perseverarpersist steadfastly
Romanian persevera, stărui
- perseverapersist steadfastly
- stăruipersist steadfastly
Russian добива́ться, упорствовать
- добива́ться (dobivátʹsja)persist steadfastly
- упорствовать (uporstvovatʹ)persist steadfastly
Scottish Gaelic lean air, cum ri
- lean airpersist steadfastly
- cum ripersist steadfastly
Spanish perseverar
- perseverarpersist steadfastly
Swahili kudumu
- kudumupersist steadfastly
Swedish framhärda
- framhärdapersist steadfastly
Turkish sebat etmek
- sebat etmekpersist steadfastly
Ukrainian боротися, витримувати
- боротися (borotysja)persist steadfastly
- витримувати (vytrymuvaty)persist steadfastly
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with persevere
Cite this entry
persevere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/persevere
“persevere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/persevere. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “persevere,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/persevere.
Source: persevere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.