persist

verb per·sist \ pər-ˈsist , -ˈzist \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of persist

intransitive verb

1 : to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning

2 obsolete : to remain unchanged or fixed in a specified character, condition, or position

3 : to be insistent in the repetition or pressing of an utterance (such as a question or an opinion)

4 : to continue to exist especially past a usual, expected, or normal time

—

persister

noun

See persist defined for English-language learners

See persist defined for kids

Examples of persist in a Sentence

She had turned him down for a date before, but he persisted and asked her again.
The reporter persisted with his questioning.
If you persist with this behavior, you will be punished.
Must you persist in making that noise?
If the pain persists, see a doctor.
Doubts about the defendant's story have persisted for some time now.
Rumors persist that they are dating.

Recent Examples of persist from the Web

Granted, most people struggled with keeping stress from persisting for multiple days, the study found.

— josh magness, miamiherald, "Just can’t ‘let it go’? You’ll pay later for holding on to all that stress, study says," 10 Apr. 2018
The report also found the wage gap persisted for women of all races among both low and top earners.

— jennifer larino, NOLA.com, "Here's why you can't 'explain away' the gender wage gap in Louisiana, U.S., report says," 10 Apr. 2018
Current and former Nike employees say culture problems have persisted at the company for years, and that the human-resources department has been unhelpful or in some cases disrespectful to employees seeking to remedy workplace complaints.

— sara germano, WSJ, "Nike’s HR Chief Says Company Fails to Promote Enough Women, Minorities—Memo," 4 Apr. 2018
And the effect persisted for more than a year, even after the officers involved in the beating were punished.

— german lopez, Vox, "“I can’t breathe”: black man pleads as police officer punches and chokes him," 3 Apr. 2018
Police arrested the suspect for disorderly conduct by persisting and drug abuse.

— bruce geiselman, cleveland.com, "Lakewood police investigate stolen car, packages: police blotter," 31 Mar. 2018
By 2016, when visitation soared and record-high summer temperatures persisted for weeks, that number spiked to 56.

— rebecca worby, Outside Online, "Lessons from Horseshoe Bend on How to Save Our Parks," 29 Mar. 2018
This is the result, Dr. Kawchuk and colleagues wrote, of the formation of a bubble, which persisted for some time afterward, and whose creation might be responsible for the cracking noise.

— veronique greenwood, New York Times, "Why Do Cracking Knuckles Make That Noise? You Might Need a Calculator," 29 Mar. 2018
The current deal with Nike has been valued at anywhere between £12m and £20m annually by various reports and rumours of a big money switch to Puma have persisted for several months.

— SI.com, "Man City 'Getting Closer' to Swapping Nike for Puma in Huge Kit Deal Worth £45m Per Year," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'persist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of persist

Middle French persister, from Latin persistere, from per- + sistere to take a stand, stand firm; akin to Latin stare to stand — more at stand

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1531

See Words from the same year

persist Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of persist

continue, last, endure, abide, persist mean to exist over a period of time or indefinitely. continue applies to a process going on without ending.

- the search for peace will continue

last, especially when unqualified, may stress existing beyond what is normal or expected.

- buy shoes that will last

endure adds an implication of resisting destructive forces or agencies.

- in spite of everything, her faith endured

abide implies stable and constant existing especially as opposed to mutability.

- a love that abides through 40 years of marriage

persist suggests outlasting the normal or appointed time and often connotes obstinacy or doggedness.

- the sense of guilt persisted

PERSIST Defined for English Language Learners

persist

verb

Definition of persist for English Language Learners

: to continue to do something or to try to do something even though it is difficult or other people want you to stop
: to continue to occur or exist beyond the usual, expected, or normal time

PERSIST Defined for Kids

persist

verb per·sist \ pər-ˈsist \

Definition of persist for Students

persisted; persisting

1 : to keep on doing or saying something : continue stubbornly

The reporter persisted with questions.

2 : to last on and on : continue to exist or occur

Rain persisted for days.

Word Root of persist

The Latin word sistere, meaning “to stand,” “to appear,” “to stop,” or “to put,” gives us the root sist. Words from the Latin sistere have something to do with standing, appearing, stopping, or putting. To assist, or help, is to stand by someone in order to give aid. To consist is to be made up of a number of thing put together. To exist, or have actual being, is to appear real. To persist is to refuse to stop doing or saying something.