List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 86

SYNONYMS: continual, continuous, constant, ceaseless, incessant, perpetual, eternal, perennial, interminable.
These adjectives are compared as they mean occurring over and over during a long period of time.

Continual can connote absence of interruption (lived in continual fear) but is chiefly restricted to what is intermittent or repeated at intervals (the continual banging of the shutter in the wind).
Continuous implies lack of interruption in time, substance, or extent: She suffered a continuous bout of illness lasting six months. The horizon is a continuous line.
Constant stresses steadiness or persistence of occurrence and unvarying nature: the constant chatter; constant repetition of the exercise.
Ceaseless and incessant pertain to uninterrupted activity: the ceaseless thunder of the surf against the rocks; incessant questions.
Perpetual emphasizes both steadiness and duration: a perpetual struggle; a perpetual stream of visitors.
Eternal refers to what is everlasting, especially to what is seemingly without temporal beginning or end: Eternal vigilance which has always been its price of freedom.
Perennial describes existence that goes on year after year, often with the suggestion of self-renewal: wished for perennial youth; the perennial problem of poverty.
Interminable refers to what is or seems to be endless and is often applied to something prolonged and wearisome: interminable talk; an interminable argument.