incessant

adjective

in·​ces·​sant (ˌ)in-ˈse-sᵊnt 

: continuing or following without interruption : unceasing

Synonyms

• ceaseless
• continual
• continued
• continuing
• continuous
• nonstop
• perpetual
• running
• unbroken
• unceasing
• uninterrupted
• unremitting

Choose the Right Synonym for incessant

continual, continuous, constant, incessant, perpetual, perennial mean characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence.

continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence.

continual showers the whole weekend

continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension.

football's oldest continuous rivalry

constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence.

lived in constant pain

incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity.

annoyed by the incessant quarreling

perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration.

a land of perpetual snowfall

perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal.

a perennial source of controversy

Examples of incessant in a Sentence

Much of the early motor development of the child depends on learning and refining such procedures, through play, imitation, trial and error, and incessant rehearsal. —Oliver Sacks, New Yorker, 24 Sept. 2007

Magna Carta also stipulated that the shire courts should meet as royal courts under the itinerant justices more often than twice a year—a change, convenient to the landed classes and their incessant civil actions, that was not implemented because of the cost to the Crown. —Norman F. Cantor, Imagining the Law, 1997

Whatever Stalin's ancestry, his biographers, Robert Tucker in particular, have concluded that his unfortunate childhood experiences, including incessant, murderous beatings by his drunken father, were probably what caused his pathological behaviour. —Amy Knight, Times Literary Supplement, 26 Apr. 1991

the incessant noise from an outside repair crew was a real distraction during the test

Recent Examples on the Web

The pressure of incessant positivity proved too much for him personally, but preaching radical kindness had a positive effect on those around him. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2024

Peters should have thought of that before breaching her public duty, giving voters the middle finger and sacrificing herself on the mantle of Trump’s ego and incessant lies. —Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024

First, there’s a dissatisfaction with myself for failing to find the right words to make everyone understand and put an end to this incessant questioning. —Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

Now the nightmare of Gaza—the stench of corpses, the widespread destruction, the incessant buzzing of military drones—is spreading to Lebanon. —Mustafa Barghouti, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incessaunt, from Late Latin incessant-, incessans, from Latin in- + cessant-, cessans, present participle of cessare to delay — more at cease

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

incessant

adjective

in·​ces·​sant (ˈ)in-ˈses-ᵊnt 

: going on and on : not stopping or letting up

incessantly adverb