What does "continue" mean?

1. (to keep doing something) to keep doing something or to stay in the same state without stopping. 2. (to start again) to start an activity again after a break or interruption. 3. (to postpone a case) to move a legal case or meeting to a later date. 4. (gaming restart) an option in a video game to keep playing after you lose all your lives.

continue — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "He continued his work despite of the noise."?

No — say "He continued his work despite the noise.". Do not use 'of' after 'despite'. You can say 'despite the noise' or 'in spite of the noise'.

Word

01to keep doing something

A2 · Elementary

v. to keep doing something or to stay in the same state without stopping.

v. to maintain an action, state, or condition without interruption.

“The rain continued all through the night and into the morning.”

“Despite the technical difficulties during the first act, the performers continued the show with remarkable professionalism.”

Pitfall

He continued his work despite of the noise.

He continued his work despite the noise.

Do not use 'of' after 'despite'. You can say 'despite the noise' or 'in spite of the noise'.

Synonyms

persist maintain carry on

Antonyms

stop cease quit

02to start again

B1 · Intermediate

v. to start an activity again after a break or interruption.

v. to resume an activity or narrative after a pause or suspension.

“We will continue our meeting after a short break for lunch.”

“The trial is expected to continue tomorrow morning once the witness has been properly briefed by legal counsel.”

Synonyms

resume restart

Antonyms

suspend pause

03to postpone a case

C1 · Advanced Law Formal · Technical

v. to move a legal case or meeting to a later date.

v. to adjourn or postpone a legal proceeding to a future date. Often used in the passive voice.

“The judge decided to continue the case until next month.”

“The defense attorney requested that the hearing be continued to allow more time for the discovery of forensic evidence.”

Usage

In legal contexts, this is often used as a transitive verb meaning to delay.

Synonyms

adjourn postpone defer

04gaming restart

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Computing Informal

n. an option in a video game to keep playing after you lose all your lives.

n. a feature in electronic games allowing a player to resume play from a specific point after a 'game over' state.

“I only had one continue left, so I had to play very carefully.”

“The arcade version of the game offered unlimited continues, but the home console port limited the player to three attempts per session.”

Synonyms

restartretry

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “continue” in context.

01. movement continue 02. population continue 03. trend continue

“Today, we proudly continue the streak of humans living and working in orbit, building on the legacies of yesterday to pave the way for the future of space exploration.”

Ars Technica 1 Oct 2026

“Factory growth in the euro zone continued its upward march in September, hitting its fastest rate in more than four years, as resilient demand drove new orders and output to multi-year highs despite the ongoing Middle East conflict, a survey showed.”

Reuters 1 Oct 2026

“Right now, everything points to Putin continuing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine: despite his country's huge battlefield losses to date and the damage being done to Russia's economy.”

BBC News 30 Sept 2026

From Middle English continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre. Displaced native Middle English thurghwonen, from Old English þurhwunian.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

continue(A2)

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

Law