Perseverating

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /pəˈsɛvəɹeɪtɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The behavior of continuously repeating a particular word or thought pattern
2. Persistently repeating a word, phrase, or action beyond the usual point of cessation
3. Engaging in continual repetition of ideas or behaviors often involuntarily and without new input

Etymology: Perseverating is a close cousin of "persevere," but the two took different paths into English. Both descend from the Latin "perseverare," built from "per" (thoroughly) and "severus" (serious, strict), so the root idea is something like "to keep steadily at it." English took "persevere" directly, and it kept the sense of stubborn, admirable determination. The newer word came through a different route: "perseveration" was borrowed from the Latin "perseverationem," a noun for continuing or persisting, and from that noun English later formed the verb "perseverate" by back-formation, cutting off the ending as if it were a verb ending. The sense shifted in the process. Where "persevere" praises the will to keep going, "perseverate" describes repetition that has slipped beyond the point where it is useful. A person who keeps returning to the same word or thought, unable to move on, is perseverating. The word is a doublet of "persevere," meaning the two share a common origin but reached English by separate routes, which is why they feel related yet mean different things.

Synonyms: persisting, continuing, enduring, repeating, driving

Antonyms: quitting, abandoning, stopping, ceasing, yielding