Unceasing

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Continuing without pause or interruption, perpetual and relentless in nature
2. Persistently ongoing without any breaks or stops, characterized by an endless and tireless quality
3. Incessantly occurring without cessation, marked by an unyielding and constant nature

Etymology: "Unceasing" is a plain formation: the negating prefix "un-" attached to "ceasing," the present participle of the verb "cease." The prefix goes back through Old English and Proto-Germanic to a very old negative element shared with many other Germanic and Indo-European languages, so the word's history is in the joining of two familiar pieces rather than in any single dramatic turn. "Cease" came into English from Old French "cesser," which in turn came from Latin "cessare," meaning to delay, stop or rest. That Latin verb is the root of the idea of stopping, so "ceasing" carries the sense of something coming to a halt. Adding "un-" reverses it, producing a word for what does not stop at all.

Synonyms: constant, persistent, relentless

Antonyms: intermittent, occasional