perpetually

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'perpetually' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or action that is ongoing, continuous, or never-ending. Example: She is perpetually anxious about her future.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

David Mitchell, the perpetually mildly annoyed UK comedian and writer, thinks about a perpetual furniture company that won't squander resources by making cheap furniture from "MDF and hope".

The Guardian

That maybe true, but this after all is motorsport – a world that perpetually trails so far behind the zeitgeist, it should by rights have been swept up by the broom wagon decades ago.

The Guardian - Sport

We follow him to the strange, perpetually dark city of Unthank, a bleak dystopia where strange diseases abound and hospitals filter their patients between those they cure and those they send off to provide fuel and power.

The Guardian - Books

They've retorted with a bold poster campaign: "Steven Holl's perpetually blank canvas: who are we preserving this space for?" However the famous library is rebuilt, will it ever be more than a shrine to the ghost of Mackintosh?

The Guardian - Arts

Without getting bogged down in relativity, I now realise that happy place is perpetually beyond my reach.

The Guardian - Sport

In order to make the argument for such a social contract persuasive, Hobbes portrays a dangerous world filled with unknown enemies perpetually striving to murder one's family and destroy one's property, a nation filled with untrustworthy neighbours, isolated individuals who live in fear of each other, and only the power of the state to protect society from the evils inherent in human nature.

The Guardian - Opinion

Perhaps it was because everyone in Leeds is perpetually furious, or perhaps it was the fact that for once they didn't have to also aim their questions at self-promoting newspaper columnists and above-their-stations comedians, but this lot operated on an incomprehensibly high baseline of fury.

The Guardian

After all, one of the enduring memories of the original trilogy is a small robot who speaks in a series of mechanical bleeps that are then translated for the audience by a perpetually flustered English-accented android.

The Guardian - Sport

Everyone – and I mean everyone – seemed to be perpetually tapping and swiping in silence.

The Guardian - Travel

With room for gigs, exhibitions, book launches, parties, film and debates touching on hot topics such as the uneasy relationship between politics and art, W139 is perpetually in motion, frequented by skinny-trousered hipsters, bespectacled geeks and paint-spattered freaks alike.

The Guardian - Travel

What Sarkeesian lacks in charisma she makes up for in tenacity, as she piles on the charges against such bleak video game staples as the perpetually terrorised damsel in distress.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "perpetually" to add emphasis to the continuous or seemingly endless nature of an action, state, or condition. It often conveys a sense of something being unchanging or inevitable.

Common error

Avoid using "perpetually" too frequently in formal or academic writing, as it can sound repetitive. Consider using synonyms like "constantly" or "continually" to vary your language.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "perpetually" functions primarily to modify verbs, indicating that an action or state occurs continuously or endlessly. As noted by Ludwig, it describes something that 'seems to never end; endlessly; constantly'. Examples from Ludwig illustrate this use across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "perpetually" is a grammatically correct adverb used to describe actions or states that continue endlessly or constantly. Ludwig AI confirms its appropriate use in written English. It's most common in news and formal business contexts, though it is suitable for various forms of writing. While it effectively conveys continuous action, consider synonyms to prevent repetition. The word appears frequently and is supported by authoritative sources like The Economist and The Guardian, marking it as a reliable choice for expressing ongoing states or actions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

constantly

Focuses on the unwavering nature of an action or state.

incessantly

Highlights the continuous and often annoying nature of something.

continually

Emphasizes repeated occurrences with some breaks, unlike a never-ending action.

ceaselessly

Underscores the absence of stopping or pausing.

endlessly

Implies a lack of termination or limit.

always

Expresses that something happens at all times or on every occasion.

eternally

Suggests an infinite duration or existence.

everlastingly

Similar to 'eternally', but can also imply something lasting for a very long time.

persistently

Highlights the determined and unwavering continuation of something, even against resistance.

without interruption

Explicitly states the absence of breaks or pauses.

FAQs

How can I use "perpetually" in a sentence?

"Perpetually" is used to describe actions or states that continue without interruption. For example, "The machine was "perpetually running"" or "She is "perpetually late" for meetings".

What's a good alternative to the word "perpetually"?

Alternatives to "perpetually" include "constantly", "incessantly", and "continually". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "perpetually always"?

Saying "perpetually always" is redundant because "perpetually" already implies something that continues without end. Therefore, it's better to use just "perpetually".

What is the difference between "perpetually" and "repeatedly"?

"Perpetually" suggests something that continues without stopping, while "repeatedly" implies that something happens again and again, but with possible intervals. A clock might "perpetually tick", but someone might "repeatedly call" without continuous calls.