EN

Synonyms for persist

26 synonyms
9 antonyms
3 meanings

verb

Most common

remain continue go on stick persevere hold on endure

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Remain

remain, continue, go on, stick, stay put, stay, live, stick it out informal, stick around informal, sustain, dwell, subsist, bide, abide dated

2. Persevere

persevere, hold on, hang in, hang on

3. Endure

endure, prevail, run

Other

hold, last, insist, pursue, prosecute

Antonyms

fail, desist, break

All antonyms of persist →

Definitions

v. 1
To go on stubbornly or resolutely.
v. 2
To repeat an utterance.
v. 3
To continue to exist.

Related words

Word family: persistence persistency persistent persevere

Forms

Past participle: persisted
e.g. persisted → remained, continued, sticked, stayed…

Example sentences

continue We have to continue doing this until it gets done.
remain No visitor can remain in the hospital after 9 p.m.
persevere He equipped his son with the will to persevere.
insist I wonder whether or not Tom will insist I do that.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
persist		steady
continue		steady
remain		steady
persevere		rising
insist		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: run¹
4 letters: last¹, live¹, stay¹, hold¹, bide¹
5 letters: stick¹, dwell¹, abide²
6 letters: remain², pursue², insist², endure²
7 letters: sustain², prevail², subsist²
8 letters: continue³
9 letters: prosecute³, persevere³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (abide² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: persister
Italiano: persistere
Català: persistir