everlasting

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English ever-lasting (“(adjective) eternal, perpetual; constant; (adverb) eternally; (noun) eternity”), from ever (“at all times, always, constantly; eternally, perpetually; regularly; etc.”) + lasting (“continuing, lasting; eternal; etc.”). Ever is derived from Old English ǣfre (“ever”), possibly from ā (“always, ever”) + in fēore (“in life”). Ā is from Proto-West Germanic *aiw (“eternity; long time”), from Proto-Germanic *aiwaz (“long time; eternity”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- (“life, vital force; long time; eternity”); and fēore is the dative singular of feorh (“life”), from Proto-West Germanic *ferh (“life; kind of tree”), from Proto-Germanic *ferhwą (“body; life; tree”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“oak tree”) (as the oak represented life and vitality in Germanic mythology). Lasting is derived from lasten (“to continue, last; etc.”) + -ing (suffix forming present participle forms of verbs, often used as adjectives)); and lasten from Old English lǣstan (“to follow, pursue; to carry out, perform”), from Proto-West Germanic *laistijan (“to follow, pursue; to carry out, perform”), from Proto-Germanic *laistijaną (“to follow, pursue”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“to trace, track”). By surface analysis, ever (adverb) +‎ lasting (adjective). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌɛvəˈlɑːstɪŋ/, /-ˈlæst-/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌɛvəɹˈlæstɪŋ/ Rhymes: -ɑːstɪŋ, -æstɪŋ Hyphenation: ever‧last‧ing === Adjective === everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting) Lasting or enduring forever; endless, eternal. Chiefly of a deity or other supernatural being: having always existed and will continue to exist forever; eternal. (philosophy) Synonym of sempiternal (“having infinite temporal duration, rather than outside time and thus lacking temporal duration altogether”). (chiefly hyperbolic, informal) Continuing for a long period; eternal. Happening all the time, especially to a tiresome extent; constant, incessant, unending. Of clothing or fabric: lasting a long time; very durable or hard-wearing. (botany) Chiefly in the name of a plant: Having flowers that retain their colour and form when dried. Of a plant or plant part: synonym of perennial (“active throughout the year, or having a life cycle of more than two growing seasons”). (US, regional, archaic) Used as an intensifier. ==== Alternative forms ==== ever-lasting (dated or archaic) ==== Synonyms ==== ==== Antonyms ==== ephemeral finite limited mortal ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adverb === everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting) Synonym of everlastingly. (chiefly US, regional, informal, archaic) Used as an intensifier: extremely, very. (obsolete) In an everlasting (adjective sense 1) manner; forever. ==== Translations ==== === Noun === everlasting (countable and uncountable, plural everlastings) (countable, botany) Chiefly with a descriptive word: short for everlasting flower (“any of several plants, chiefly of the family Asteraceae (principally the tribe Gnaphalieae), having flowers that retain their colour and form when dried; also, a flower of such a plant”) (countable, archaic) Preceded by the: someone or something that lasts forever, or that that has always existed and will continue to exist forever; an eternal, an immortal; specifically (Christianity), God. (clothing, footwear, historical) Synonym of lasting (“(uncountable) a durable, plain, woven fabric formerly used for making clothes and for the uppers of women's shoes; (countable) a quantity of such fabric”). (obsolete) Short for everlasting trimming (“(uncountable) an embroidered edging used on underclothes; (countable) a quantity of such edging”) ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === everlasting (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “everlasting”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.