# forever

/fɝˈɛvɝ/ (US) · /fəɹˈɛvɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/forever
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. for all time

adverb · CEFR B1

for all time, without ever ending.

For teachers: for an infinite duration or for all eternity. Not comparable.

- They promised to love each other forever during their wedding ceremony.
- The ancient ruins seemed as though they would stand forever, defying the erosion of time and the elements.

### 2. a very long time

adverb · CEFR B1 · Informal

a way to say something is taking much longer than you expected.

For teachers: used colloquially to express an excessive or seemingly infinite duration of time.

- We waited forever for the bus to arrive in the rain.
- The download took forever because the office network was struggling under the weight of several simultaneous updates.

### 3. constantly

adverb · CEFR B2

happening all the time, especially in an annoying way.

For teachers: continually or persistently; often used with the present continuous to express habitual or irritating actions.

- He is forever losing his keys just when we need to leave.
- The manager was forever complaining about the lack of resources, yet he consistently rejected every proposal for budget increases.

Usage: Often used with the present continuous tense to show annoyance.

### 5. permanent

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

lasting for a long time or meant to be permanent.

For teachers: denoting a state of permanence or long-term commitment. Often used in specific social contexts like pet adoption.

- The rescue center is looking for a forever home for this puppy.
- The couple finally found their forever house, a quiet cottage far removed from the noise of the city.

## Examples

- I will remember this beautiful day forever.
- The old factory has been closed forever, and the city plans to turn the land into a park.
- While the physical structures of the ancient city have crumbled, the philosophical ideas born there have changed the course of history forever.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.