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Synonym Chooser

How is the word perpetual different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of perpetual are constant, continual, continuous, incessant, and perennial. While all these words mean "characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence," perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration.

a land of perpetual snowfall

When is constant a more appropriate choice than perpetual?

The words constant and perpetual are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence.

lived in constant pain

When can continual be used instead of perpetual?

While the synonyms continual and perpetual are close in meaning, continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence.

continual showers the whole weekend

When would continuous be a good substitute for perpetual?

While in some cases nearly identical to perpetual, continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension.

football's oldest continuous rivalry

In what contexts can incessant take the place of perpetual?

In some situations, the words incessant and perpetual are roughly equivalent. However, incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity.

annoyed by the incessant quarreling

When is it sensible to use perennial instead of perpetual?

The synonyms perennial and perpetual are sometimes interchangeable, but perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal.

a perennial source of controversy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perpetual Mommy Pai herself—Redding’s mother, Ampai Redding, a winning mascot—appears wearing vivid red lipstick, smiling warmly, her head nodding in a perpetual gesture of invitation. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025 By the way, the Shore Theater, that perpetual almost-a-project? Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 24 Sep. 2025 But at a moment when many people are in a perpetual state of gloominess — courtesy of the news, social media doomscrolling or streaming/cable dramas that confuse lack of literal illumination with profundity — the pleasantly sunny escapism is difficult to resent. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025 Finding a place to park the RV has been a perpetual challenge. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for perpetual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perpetual
Adjective
  • The crew spent a total of 183 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest continuous spaceflight by Chinese astronauts.
    Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
  • This continuous conversation, heightened by agile promo tactics and surprise announcements, is central to Swift’s stranglehold on cultural capital.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • What’s Next The investigation remains ongoing as of time of writing.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Mthethwa also faced an ongoing probe that heard allegations by a provincial police commissioner who accused him of attempting to obstruct the prosecution of a former head of South Africa’s Crime Intelligence Services who was being investigated for corruption.
    Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His big, bright smile, infectious energy and eternal positivity created a presence that continually uplifted others.
    Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The film stars Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner in a story set in the afterlife, where souls have one week to choose their eternal fate.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Chases are intended to be stopped based on what police policy describes as a continual evaluation of the risks by the pursuing officer.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • This continual change has made communication between customers and carriers all the more critical, said Jack Sheehan, director, ocean freight, Northeast, Midwest and Canada at Flexport.
    Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • After enduring months of chemotherapy, changes to her hair are an inevitable reality.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The $60 canvas sneaker is detailed with elastic side panels and a vulcanized rubber sole, its black-and-white checker motif among the brand’s most enduring signatures since debuting in 1977.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • To acquire the papers of such a preeminent writer making work at the very top of his game will provide endless inspiration and insight to generations of creatives and researchers.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
  • When executed properly, the process triggers endless reactions to make energy for electricity.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But as the trial date approaches and uncertainty swirls over what the lawsuit could mean for the future of stock car racing, many of the team owners expressed a feeling of urgency to see the litigation resolved and indicated the current charter system was vital for their continued existence.
    Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Less than a week after his release was ordered in July, ICE was granted a stay by an immigration appeals court, effectively blocking Guevara’s bond, allowing for his continued detention.
    Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Khalid was born mortal, but was given an immortal life when his father placed his soul into the body of Hunbish, a child that the Goryeo girl once wished to save.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Published in The Atlantic magazine in June 1866, Whittier’s poem gave the real-life tragedy of the Dash and her crew additional immortal power.
    Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perpetual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perpetual. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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