constantly
- 1All the time, either without stopping or happening again and again.
The machinery droned constantly throughout the factory shift.
Throughout the storm, rain fell constantly against the windows.
UsageWith be + -ing it often signals annoyance: he's constantly interrupting.
- 2In a way that never changes or varies; the same in every case.
Similarinvariably, uniformly, unvaryingly
Oppositevariably
- 3With steadfastness and resolve; loyally and faithfully.
Note
Here constant still carries its old sense of steadfast, as in a constant friend. The adverb is simply constant plus -ly, and it displaced the native Old English singallīċe. Someone who loved constantly never wavered. Faithfully, loyally and steadfastly now do this work, and most readers will hear constantly as "all the time". Keep this use for deliberately old-fashioned writing such as a vow, a ballad or a historical novel.
Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Constant has a historical sense meaning steadfast, applicable to friendship. en.wiktionary.org
- Constantly is formed from constant plus -ly. en.wiktionary.org
- Constantly displaced the native Old English word singallīċe. en.wiktionary.org
- In its archaic sense, constantly describes steadfast or faithful love. en.wiktionary.org
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Origin
Formed from "constant" plus the suffix "-ly". It displaced the native Old English word "singallīċe".
Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Constantly is formed from constant plus the suffix -ly. en.wiktionary.org
- Constantly displaced the native Old English word singallīċe. en.wiktionary.org