continue
verb /kənˈtɪnjuː/
/kənˈtɪnjuː/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they continue | /kənˈtɪnjuː/ /kənˈtɪnjuː/ |
| he / she / it continues | /kənˈtɪnjuːz/ /kənˈtɪnjuːz/ |
| past simple continued | /kənˈtɪnjuːd/ /kənˈtɪnjuːd/ |
| past participle continued | /kənˈtɪnjuːd/ /kənˈtɪnjuːd/ |
| -ing form continuing | /kənˈtɪnjuːɪŋ/ /kənˈtɪnjuːɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to keep existing or happening without stopping
- If the current trend continues, that number will increase 165 per cent by 2050.
- Police have not yet made any arrests, but investigations continue.
- + adv./prep. The exhibition continues until 25 July.
- Fighting continued for four years.
- The rain will continue into the evening.
- Unions declared that the strike would continue indefinitely.
- Life continued on as normal.
- Work continues apace on the second phase of the development.
- The tradition continues to this day.
- + adj. The violence continues unabated.
- continue to do something The economy is continuing to grow.
- The number of car accident deaths is continuing to decline.
- Costs continued to rise.
- The rain continued to fall all afternoon.
- continue doing something The rain continued falling all afternoon.
Extra Examples- The process continued throughout the day.
- Work continued until nightfall.
- The trial is expected to continue for three months.
- Work on the new road is expected to continue for another two months.
- [transitive, intransitive] to keep doing something without stopping
- continue doing something She wanted to continue working until she was 60.
- He vowed to continue fighting.
- continue to do something We will continue to work closely with our international partners on this.
- He continued to ignore everything I was saying.
- continue something to continue a tradition/trend
- The board of inquiry is continuing its investigations.
- An estimated 2 per cent of the population continue their education beyond secondary school.
- She moved to New York to continue her studies.
- He continued his work in secret.
- His mother vowed to continue her fight for justice.
- continue (with something) Are you going to continue with the project?
- At the age of 70 she still runs 5 kilometres every day and intends to continue for as long as she can.
Extra Examples- We need your support to enable us to continue with our work.
- She wanted to continue working after the baby was born.
- The council has voted to continue using pesticides in public parks.
- The orchestra continues its policy of commissioning major new works.
- Both governments will continue efforts to iron out their political differences.
- Please continue with the work you were doing before.
- [intransitive] to go or move further in the same direction
- The rough track continues, but it quickly disappears into undergrowth.
- + adv./prep. The path continued over rough, rocky ground.
- He continued on his way.
- The road continues through the village of Knightwick.
- [intransitive] to remain in a particular job or condition
- She will continue in her present job until a replacement can be found.
- continue as something I want you to continue as project manager.
- [intransitive, transitive] to start or start something again after stopping for a time synonym resume
- The story continues in our next issue.
- continue something They had to continue their journey on foot.
- We shall continue our discussion of retailing in Chapter 7.
- The story will be continued in our next issue.
- [intransitive, transitive] to start speaking again after stopping
- Please continue—I didn't mean to interrupt.
- continue something She simply turned her back to me and continued her phone conversation.
- + speech ‘In fact,’ he continued, ‘I'd like to congratulate you.’
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French continuer, from Latin continuare, from continuus ‘uninterrupted’, from continere ‘hang together’ (from con- ‘together with’ + tenere ‘hold’).