English Reference
Adverb

perpetually

adv. manner
C1 Advanced US /pɝˈpɛtʃuəɫi/ UK /pəpˈɛtʃuːəli/ per·pet·u·al·ly

adv.happening all the time or never ending. You use this to describe something that seems to go on forever without stopping.

adv.occurring in a way that is constant, never-ending, or seemingly eternal. Often used to describe states or conditions that feel unchangeable.


SIMPLE

The mountains are perpetually covered in snow.

CONTEXTUAL

He felt perpetually tired because he worked two jobs and rarely had time to sleep.

COMPLEX

In the high-pressure environment of the newsroom, the staff lived in a perpetually frantic state, reacting to every minor update as if it were a global crisis.

Usage

Typically placed before the adjective or verb it modifies.

Bassist and vocalist Aoife Anson-O’Connell finds it “really stifling creatively and personally isolating” being locked perpetually on screens, while Haycocks’ previous band, he says, became frozen by the “option paralysis” of overusing technology.

The Guardian· 24 Aug 2026

Joseph Losey and Harold Pinter make the mood more jangly and atonal, perpetually on the verge of panic.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

From Middle English perpetuelly; equivalent to perpetual + -ly.

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

This entry
Origin Middle English perpetuelly
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated