continually
kuhn-TIHN-yoo-uh-lee
Continually (adv) means happening frequently or repeatedly over a period of time. Example: “The phone rang continually while we were trying to eat dinner.”
adv
1
Happening frequently or repeatedly over a period of time.
"The phone rang continually while we were trying to eat dinner."
"She continually forgets her keys and has to go back for them."
"He was continually interrupted during the meeting."
How to use continually
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAgain and again, over and over, often with short gaps in between.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more continually
- Superlative
- most continually
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The phone rang _____ while we were trying to eat dinner.
Synonyms
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repeatedly
constantly
frequently
perpetually
recurrently
again and again
little by little
momently
at every turn
sequentially
incessantly
nonstop
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for continually
See all rhymes for continually →Frequently asked questions
What does “continually” mean?
The word “continually” means happening frequently or repeatedly over a period of time. In plain terms, again and again, over and over, often with short gaps in between.
How do you pronounce “continually”?
“Continually” is pronounced kuhn-TIHN-yoo-uh-lee (/kənˈtɪnjuəli/ in IPA).
How do you use “continually” in a sentence?
Here is “continually” used in a sentence: “He was continually interrupted during the meeting.”
What is another word for “continually”?
Words with a similar meaning to “continually” include little by little, momently, at every turn, sequentially, incessantly and nonstop.
What part of speech is “continually”?
“Continually” is an adverb.
Is “continually” a common word?
“Continually” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between "continually" and "continuously"?
"Continually" means happening frequently and repeatedly, with breaks in between, as in "he continually interrupts". "Continuously" means happening without any interruption at all, as in "the engine ran continuously for ten hours".
When should you use "continually" instead of "continuously"?
Use "continually" when an action repeats often but stops and starts, like rain that falls on and off all week. Use "continuously" only when something happens non-stop with no pause, like a river flowing.
Is it a mistake to use "continually" and "continuously" interchangeably?
In careful writing they are not interchangeable, because "continually" implies repeated events with gaps while "continuously" implies an unbroken action. Many people mix them up, but keeping the distinction makes your meaning clearer.
What words commonly appear with "continually"?
"Continually" often modifies verbs of repeated action, as in "continually changing", "continually improving", "continually updated", and "continually interrupted". It typically describes something that recurs rather than something that never stops.
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