What does persevering mean?
Persevering means continuing steadily and making progress despite difficulty, failure, delay, or other obstacles. It is especially associated with determination, endurance, and a refusal to abandon a goal simply because the task is hard. In positive contexts, the word praises someone whose sustained effort eventually produces a result: a persevering student, a persevering researcher, or a persevering community. It is also commonly used as an adjective before words such as effort, determination, and attitude. Compared with persistent, persevering places greater emphasis on steady effort in the face of adversity. The term can be mildly formal, but it is widely understood in everyday English and often conveys moral approval.
adjectiveContinuing steadily despite difficulty, delay, or obstacles. The word describes someone or something that perseveres, especially through persistent effort.
- Continuing steadily despite difficulty or obstacles.
- Having or showing determined, sustained effort toward a goal.
"Her persevering determination helped her complete the difficult course."
"The persevering student kept revising until every question was clear."
"Persevering research can often uncover findings that an early approach misses."
Persevering comes from the Latin perseverare, a word built around the idea of pressing on firmly: endurance made a virtue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does persevering come from?
Persevering comes from the Latin verb perseverare, meaning “to persist” or “continue steadfastly.” The word was formed from the prefix per-, conveying thoroughness or intensity, and severus, meaning “strict” or “severe,” together suggesting an unyielding approach to an undertaking. English borrowed the Latin form and developed the related words perseverance and perseverate. The same Latin root underlies severity, although the modern meanings have diverged considerably.
Related word forms
How persevering is actually used
Generally positive and approving, especially when describing someone who continues despite hardship. It can sound more emphatic and sustained than simply saying determined or persistent.
Easily confused with persevering
Persistent emphasizes continuing with a course of action or maintaining an effort, whereas persevering more strongly suggests patient determination in the face of difficulty.
Patient refers to tolerating delay or discomfort calmly, while persevering specifically describes continuing to work toward a goal despite obstacles.