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单词 continual
释义
continual
(once / 160 pages)
adj

The adjective continual describes something that's recurring, that happens again and again. If your pet wolf keeps up his continual howling all night, your neighbors will let you know about it.
Something continual doesn't seem to stop. Your continual nightmares about terrifying clowns occur night after night, and the continual interruptions of your adorable nephew while you're talking on the phone will probably seem less and less cute the longer they continue. The Latin root word is continuus, "uninterrupted," and if you're truly talking about something going on without pause, you'll want to use the word continuous instead.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS
continual / continuous

The words continual and continuous are like twins: they both come from continue, but they get mad if you get them confused. Continual means start and stop, while continuous means never-ending.

Continual things come and go, like arguments or rain. If your parents' continual arguing drives you crazy, just be glad they stop sometimes! With continual rain, you'll get some sunny breaks, as Ireland's forecasters like to say. Or in this bit about the birth of Lynyrd Skynyrd:

There were continual battles between authority figures like Skinner and the free spirits who formed the band. (herald-review.com)

Continuous, on the other hand, is nonstop. If the young Skynyrds had a continuous argument with authority, they'd never stop, not even to sing "Free Bird." With continuous rain, you'll never see the sun. A flight or a wire can be continuous:

Jongeward and Woodhouse ended up breaking the record for continuous flight. They stayed in the air for 1,124 hours. (Yuma Sun)

A telegraphic signal would go more than seven times around the earth in one second if it travelled on one continuous wire. (Elmer Ellsworth Burns)

Continual is chronic, like a cough that comes and goes, or a teenager's sporadic fights with The Man. Continuous is like a circle, or a nightmare carousel that never ever stops. Neither one is the evil twin; they're both moody.

WORD FAMILY
continual: continually
USAGE EXAMPLES
In the spirit of continual change, this summer we tried something new.
New York Times(Aug 18, 2012)
“Our collaboration is a continual joy for me.”
New York Times(Dec 20, 2016)
It’s continual release will be slow, to nearly 70 theaters Dec. 16 and in the 300 range by Christmas. 
Los Angeles Times(Dec 11, 2016)
1adj occurring without interruption; chiefly restricted to what recurs regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series
the continual banging of the shutters
Syn|Ant
insistent, repetitive
repetitive and persistent
running
continually repeated over a period of time
perennial, recurrent, repeated
recurring again and again
persistent, relentless, unrelenting
never-ceasing
recurring, revenant
coming back
sporadic
recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances
fitful, spasmodic
occurring in spells and often abruptly
intermittent
stopping and starting at irregular intervals
occasional, periodic
recurring or reappearing from time to time
irregular, unpredictable
not occurring at expected times
isolated, stray
not close together in time
discontinuous, noncontinuous
not continuing without interruption in time or space
infrequent
not frequent; not occurring regularly or at short intervals
2adj `continual' (meaning seemingly uninterrupted) is often used interchangeably with `continuous' (meaning without interruption)
Syn
continuous, uninterrupted
continuing in time or space without interruption
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更新时间:2024/9/21 17:49:23