Word
continually
Meanings
repeatedly or very often over a period of time, possibly with breaks
in a way that keeps happening and is difficult to stop or avoid
Definition
Continually means happening repeatedly or very often, sometimes with short breaks.
If something happens continually, it occurs again and again over time. There may be pauses, but it keeps returning or being repeated. It often suggests persistence that can feel ongoing or hard to escape.
Examples
- I found myself continually checking the schedule because the meeting time kept shifting.
- You can’t build trust if you continually change your story when questions get uncomfortable.
- She continually refined her draft, trimming weak sentences until the argument felt airtight.
- They were continually interrupted by notifications, so they moved their discussion to a quiet room.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse continually with continuously: continually means repeatedly (with possible breaks), while continuously means without interruption.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adverbs
- farther Farther means at a greater physical distance than something else.
- further Further means at a greater distance or to a greater degree, or it refers to additional things.
- literally Literally means “in the exact, real sense,” not figuratively or as an exaggeration.
- figuratively Figuratively means in a non-literal way, using a metaphor or image to express an idea.
- exclusively Only and solely, with no others included.