persistent
/pə'sistənt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition: Describes a person or their behavior that is determined and refuses to give up.
- Continuing to exist or endure over a long period; long-lasting: Describes something that remains or recurs, often in an unwelcome or troublesome way.
- (Botany, Zoology) Remaining attached instead of falling off in the normal manner: A technical term describing parts of an organism, like leaves or gills, that are not shed.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective (Determined):
- Her persistent efforts finally led to a breakthrough.
- He was persistent in asking for a raise.
- Adjective (Long-lasting/Recurring):
- We've had persistent rain all week.
- A persistent cough can be a sign of a serious illness.
- The persistent sound of the drums kept me awake.
- Adjective (Botany/Zoology):
- Some plants have persistent leaves that stay on the tree all winter.
- The persistent gills are a feature of certain fish species.
Advanced Usage
- "Hauntingly persistent": Used to describe something, often a memory or sound, that is difficult to forget and keeps coming back to mind.
- The melody was hauntingly persistent.
- "Persistent in": Followed by a noun or gerund to specify the area of determination.
- She was persistent in her belief.
- He was persistent in pursuing his goals.
Variants and Related Words
- Persist (verb): To continue firmly or obstinately in an action or belief.
- He will persist until he gets an answer.
- Persistence (noun): The fact of continuing in an opinion or course of action despite difficulty.
- Success requires talent and persistence.
- Persistently (adverb): In a persistent manner.
- He called persistently for reform.
Synonyms
- Tenacious: Holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold.
- Dogged: Having or showing tenacity and grim persistence.
- Relentless: Unceasingly intense.
- Incessant: Continuing without pause or interruption.
- Unwavering: Steady or resolute; not wavering.
Antonyms
- Intermittent: Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
- Yielding: Giving way under pressure; not firm or resolute.
- Fleeting: Lasting for a very short time.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- A persistent problem: A difficulty or issue that continues to exist and is hard to solve.
- Traffic congestion is a persistent problem in the city.
- To be persistent to a fault: To be so determined that it becomes a negative trait, causing annoyance or harm.
- His attention to detail is persistent to a fault, often causing delays.
Adjective
- stubbornly unyielding
- dogged persistence
- dour determination
- the most vocal and pertinacious of all the critics
- a mind not gifted to discover truth but tenacious to hold it- T.S.Eliot
- men tenacious of opinion
- retained; not shed
- persistent leaves remain attached past maturity
- the persistent gills of fishes
- continually recurring to the mind
- haunting memories
- the cathedral organ and the distant voices have a haunting beauty- Claudia Cassidy
- never-ceasing
- the relentless beat of the drums