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Continuous: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Continuous adjective. Going on without any pause or break.
How to say it
kun-TIN-yoo-us/kənˈtɪnjʊəs/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (TIN).
Continuous in a sentence
A continuous barrier runs down the middle of the motorway.
The baby kept up a continuous wail from Leeds to London.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- unbroken
- uninterrupted
- ceaseless
- constant
Opposite:
- intermittent
- broken
Usage note
Continuous means unbroken; continual means happening over and over with gaps. A dripping tap is continual; a running one is continuous.
Don’t confuse with continual
continual (adjective): Happening again and again, with breaks in between.
Where continuous comes from
From Latin continuus, hanging together.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The baby kept up a _____ wail from Leeds to London.
- continuous
- ingenious
- stationary
Show the answer
continuous: The baby kept up a continuous wail from Leeds to London.