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never-ending

3 antonyms and opposites of never-ending, grouped by meaning.

Adjective — Seeming to continue for ever, usually because it is tedious or exhausting.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adjective

Seeming to continue for ever, usually because it is tedious or exhausting.

“The never-ending paperwork is what finally drove her out of teaching.”

Opposites

finite brief short-lived

2. adjective

Genuinely without end; continuing indefinitely.

“A circle is a never-ending line.”

Antonyms

finite brief short-lived

How to use never-ending

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a never-ending cycle never-ending story never-ending stream of seemingly never-ending

Neutral, and usually hyperbole rather than literal truth. Normally hyphenated before a noun; 'never ending' unhyphenated is common but less careful.

Etymology

From never + ending.

Full origin of never-ending →

Frequently asked questions

Is it 'never ending' or 'never-ending'?

Hyphenate it when it comes before the noun it describes, as in 'a never-ending debate', because the two words work as a single modifier. After the verb, as in 'the debate seems never ending', the hyphen is optional and often dropped.

What is the difference between never-ending and endless?

They are very close synonyms. 'Endless' is the plainer and shorter word and can also suggest vast physical extent, as in 'endless plains', while 'never-ending' emphasises duration and more often carries a note of weariness.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.