Meaning & use
perseverance
Last updated
UK/ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪərəns/
US/ˌpɝːsəˈvɪrəns/
Meaning
noununcountableapproving
The quality of continuing to work toward a goal even when it is hard or slow.
Grammar: Uncountable: success takes perseverance.
Patterns
- perseverance in something
- perseverance in doing something
Learning the violin takes perseverance.
Her perseverance paid off when she finally passed the exam.
Common combinations
- sheer perseverance
- He finished the race through sheer perseverance.
- show perseverance
- The team showed great perseverance.
- perseverance pays off
- Perseverance pays off in the end.
- patience and perseverance
- The project needs patience and perseverance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- persistence
- Can be neutral or even annoying, while perseverance is nearly always admired.
- determination
- Describes the will itself, not the long effort.
- tenacity
- Adds the idea of holding on stubbornly.
Opposites
Word family
- persevere verb
- to keep trying despite difficulty
- persevering adjective
- continuing steadily
Commonly confused: perseverance or preservation?
perseverance vs preservation
Preservation means keeping something safe; it is not about effort.
Practice
Years of ___, not talent alone, helped her become a surgeon.
Choose one answer.
Perseverance means steady effort despite difficulty. Curiosity might help, but it does not mean sticking with hard work.
Make it your own
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