Persevered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To maintain consistent effort toward achieving a goal despite facing challenges and resistance
2. To keep working steadily toward a goal even when encountering obstacles
3. To persistently pursue an objective in spite of setbacks or discouragement

Etymology: This is a past-tense form of "persevere", so the history belongs to the base verb. Its roots lie in Latin "persevērāre", meaning "to continue steadfastly", which was built from "perseverus", "very strict or earnest". That adjective combined "per", meaning "through" or "by the means of", with "severus", meaning "strict" or "earnest". The sense was thus of pressing through with firm seriousness. The word reached English through Old French "perseverer", and English speakers borrowed it in the Middle English period. Its sense of persisting against resistance has stayed close to the Latin idea of a steady, serious pressing-on. Its close relative "perseverate", a technical term in psychology for repeating a response after it has ceased to be useful, comes from the same Latin source and shares the root, making the two a doublet.

Synonyms: persisted, endured, continued

Antonyms: surrendered, gave up