Word
persevere
Phoneticsper·se·vere, stress on the third syllable
US/pɝsəˈvɪɹ/
UK/pˌɜːsɪvˈiə/
Españolperseverar
Definition
v. to continue doing something difficult without giving up.
v. to persist in a course of action or a purpose in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success.
Examples
“You must persevere if you want to finish the race.”
“The small startup had to persevere through several months of financial losses before finally securing a major investor.”
“Despite the initial setbacks and the skepticism of his peers, the researcher chose to persevere with his hypothesis, eventually proving its validity through rigorous experimentation.”
Examples
simple
“You must persevere if you want to finish the race.”
contextual
“The small startup had to persevere through several months of financial losses before finally securing a major investor.”
complex
“Despite the initial setbacks and the skepticism of his peers, the researcher chose to persevere with his hypothesis, eventually proving its validity through rigorous experimentation.”
Usage
Intransitive; often followed by the prepositions 'in' or 'with'.
Teaching tip
While the word is B2/C1, it is a very common 'academic' verb that teachers should encourage students to use instead of 'keep going'.
Pitfall
She persevered to her studies.
She persevered in her studies.
Use the preposition 'in' or 'with' after persevere to describe the activity.
Real-World Examples
“Then there’s also the very real risk of being excluded from the cultural and social highs of university life – the joys that make it worth persevering through gruelling deadlines and exam schedules.” “Other areas covered are students’ A-level grades and whether their academic performance improves at university (the value-added score), and how likely they are to persevere with their course.” Etymology
From Middle English perseveren, from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre (“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”), from perseverus (“very strict or earnest”), from per (“through, by the means of”) + severus (“strict, earnest”). Doublet of perseverate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/persevere
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0