everlasting
gb/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ/ us/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
lasting forever; without end
lasting for ever; never ending
Usage pattern:
[an] everlasting + [thing/state]
Common mistake:
Learners may use it for ordinary long durations where 'long-lasting' or 'lasting a long time' sounds more natural.
Synonyms
eternal (More common in religious or philosophical contexts.)
|
endless (Emphasizes having no end; can be less formal.)
Antonyms
temporary (Lasting only for a limited time.)
|
short-lived (Lasting for only a short period.)
Collocations
everlasting life
|everlasting love
|everlasting peace
|everlasting glory
|everlasting punishment
|everlasting fire
|everlasting covenant
|everlasting soul
Themes
time
|religion
Examples
- Many religions promise everlasting life after death.
- They pledged everlasting loyalty to the cause.
- The poem speaks of an everlasting truth.
Learner examples
- He believes in everlasting life.
- Their love felt everlasting.
adjective
B2
property
2
seemingly never-ending; constant
going on and on (often annoyingly)
Usage pattern:
everlasting + [problem/noise/complaint]
Common mistake:
Don’t use it for a single repeated action ('He everlasting said...'); use 'kept saying' or 'constantly said'.
Synonyms
never-ending (Very close; often more neutral and less old-fashioned.)
|
constant (Focuses on frequency/continuity rather than length.)
Antonyms
brief (Lasting only a short time.)
|
intermittent (Stopping and starting rather than continuing.)
Collocations
everlasting problems
|everlasting noise
|everlasting delays
|everlasting complaints
|everlasting arguments
|everlasting rain
|everlasting questions
|everlasting conflict
Themes
time
|emotions
|daily_life
Examples
- I’m tired of his everlasting complaints about the weather.
- The house is full of everlasting noise during the holidays.
- We’ve had everlasting delays on this project.
Learner examples
- The everlasting noise made it hard to sleep.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
3
God as the Eternal One
a name for God meaning “the eternal one”
Usage pattern:
the Everlasting
Common mistake:
This use is a noun and usually takes 'the' and a capital letter: 'the Everlasting'.
Synonyms
the Eternal (A parallel religious title emphasizing timelessness.)
Antonyms
mortal (Human beings who do not live forever.)
Collocations
praise the Everlasting
|trust in the Everlasting
|the Everlasting God
Themes
religion
Examples
- The hymn calls on the faithful to praise the Everlasting.
- In the text, the Everlasting is described as just and merciful.
Learner examples
- Some prayers call God the Everlasting.
Noun
C1
entity
4
plant with long-lasting flowers
a plant whose flowers last a long time, even when dried
Usage pattern:
[an] everlasting; everlastings
Common mistake:
In this meaning, 'everlasting' is a countable noun (an everlasting / everlastings).
Synonyms
strawflower (A common specific type of 'everlasting' used for dried arrangements.)
Antonyms
annual (A plant that completes its life cycle in one season (not the opposite of 'dried', but contrasts in plant terms).)
Collocations
strawflower everlasting
|dried everlastings
|everlasting flowers
|everlasting in a bouquet
Themes
nature
|plants
|gardening
Examples
- She made a wreath from dried everlastings.
- The florist added an everlasting to the arrangement for texture.
Learner examples
- These everlastings look good when dried.
Grammar
Dictionary form
everlasting
IPA
GB/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ/
US/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
ever - last - ing (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (last)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: everlasting
Noun
- Base: everlasting
- Plural: everlastings
Word family
Expressions
everlasting gobstopper
1/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ ɡəbstˈɑpɚ/
fixed phrase
fictional candy that never ends
a candy in a story that never gets smaller
Examples
- The children begged for an Everlasting Gobstopper like the one in the movie.
- He joked that his jawbreaker was an Everlasting Gobstopper.
everlasting life
1/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
formal
life that never ends
life after death that never ends
Examples
- The sermon focused on the hope of everlasting life.
- They believed that faith would lead to everlasting life.
everlasting love
1/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ lˈʌv/
fixed phrase
love that lasts forever
love that never ends
Examples
- They wrote about everlasting love in their wedding vows.
- The movie sells a fantasy of everlasting love.
everlasting peace
1/ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ pˈis/
fixed phrase
formal
peace that lasts forever
peace that never ends (sometimes after death)
Examples
- The treaty was meant to secure everlasting peace.
- The inscription wished the dead everlasting peace.