Standard Lemma guide

incessant

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈsɛs.ənt/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛsənt
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S EH1 S AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Without pause or stop; not ending, especially to the point of annoyance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The dog's incessant barking kept the girl awake all night.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unremitting, continuous, unceasing

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the ceaseless thunder of surf
  • in constant pain
  • night and day we live with the incessant noise of the city
  • the never-ending search for happiness
  • the perpetual struggle to maintain standards in a democracy
  • man's unceasing warfare with drought and isolation
  • unremitting demands of hunger

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ceaseless, constant, never-ending, perpetual, unceasing, unremitting

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Late Middle English incessaunte, from Late Latin incessāns, incessantem, from Latin in- + cessāns.

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مُسْتَمِرّ (mustamirr) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Arabic: مُتَوَاصِل (mutawāṣil) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Armenian: անդուլ (andul) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Bengali: অবিরত (obiroto) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Bengali: অনবরত (onoboroto) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Bengali: অবিরাম (obiram) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Bengali: অবিশ্রান্ত (obisranto) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Bulgarian: непрестанен (neprestanen) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Bulgarian: нескончаем (neskončaem) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Catalan: incessant — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Czech: neustálý — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Danish: uafbrudt — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Danish: stadig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Danish: uafladelig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Danish: konstant — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Dutch: voortdurend — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Dutch: onophoudelijk — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Esperanto: senĉesa — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Finnish: herkeämätön — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Finnish: alituinen — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Finnish: lakkaamaton — without pause or stop; not ending
  • French: incessant — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Galician: incesante — without pause or stop; not ending
  • German: ständig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • German: unablässig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • German: unaufhörlich — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Greek: αδιάλειπτος (adiáleiptos) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Ancient Greek: ἀδιάλειπτος (adiáleiptos) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Hindi: निरंतर (nirantar) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Icelandic: sífelldur — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Icelandic: þrálaus — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Icelandic: þrálátur — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Icelandic: viðstöðulaus — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Icelandic: stöðugur — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Irish: síoraí — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Irish: síor- — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Northern Kurdish: bênavber — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Northern Kurdish: berdewam — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Latin: assiduus — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Marathi: अविश्रांत (aviśrānta) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Occitan: incessant — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Polish: bezustanny — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Portuguese: incessante — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Romanian: neîncetat — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Russian: постоя́нный (postojánnyj) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Russian: непреры́вный (neprerývnyj) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Russian: беспреры́вный (besprerývnyj) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Russian: непрекраща́ющийся (neprekraščájuščijsja) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Scottish Gaelic: sìor — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Slovak: ustavičný — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Slovene: nenehen — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Spanish: incesante — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Swedish: oavbruten — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Swedish: oavlåtlig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Swedish: oupphörlig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Swedish: ständig — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Ottoman Turkish: آراسز (arasız) — without pause or stop; not ending
  • Ukrainian: безперервний (bezperervnyj) — without pause or stop; not ending