forever

[ fawr-ev-er, fer- ]

adverb

1. without ever ending; eternally:

   Like the memory of her laughter, the love for her in our hearts will last forever.

2. continually; incessantly; always:

   He's forever complaining.

noun

1. an endless or seemingly endless period of time:

   It took them forever to make up their minds.

adjective

1. lasting for an endless period of time; permanent:

   The stray dog is staying with us until we can find a forever home for it.

forever

/ fɔːˈrɛvə; fə- /

adverb

1. Alsofor ever without end; everlastingly; eternally
2. at all times; incessantly
3. informal.
   for a very long time

   he went on speaking forever

noun

1. informal.
   as object a very long time

   it took him forever to reply

2. …forever!
   an exclamation expressing support or loyalty

   Scotland forever!

Usage

Forever and for ever can both be used to say that something is without end. For all other meanings, forever is the preferred form

Word History and Origins

Origin of forever¹

First recorded in 1300–50; originally a prepositional phrase for ever

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. forever and a day, eternally; always:

   They pledged to love each other forever and a day.

Example Sentences

“The experiences were something that I will carry with me forever because it made me a strong human being mentally and physically. It prepared me for a lot of things outside of football.”

From Los Angeles Times

Regulators expect medicines to be static entities they can test once and trust forever.

From Salon

The reality now – and it would probably have been the case anyway – is that Guardiola’s reputation will forever be tied to City’s, good or bad.

From BBC

In a rational world, this idea would have been consigned to the dumpster long ago, and forever.

From Los Angeles Times

Bellamy describes himself as a "greedy" coach - forever demanding more from his players, his staff and himself - and there is no doubting his ambitions.

From BBC

Related Words

• always
• endlessly
• eternally
• permanently