INDEX:
always/every time
1. when someone always does something or something always happens
always/all the time
2. happening all the time, without stopping or changing
3. during the whole of an event or period of time
always/forever
4. when something will always happen or always continue
5. when something has always happened or always been true
6. remaining or continuing forever
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ NEVER
too often, in a way that is annoying : ↑ OFTEN (2)
see also
↑ CONTINUE
↑ USUALLY
↑ SOMETIMES
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1. when someone always does something or something always happens
▷ always /ˈɔːlwɪz, ˈɔːlwəz, -weɪz/ [adverb]
▪ I always say my prayers before I go to bed.
▪ She was always ready to listen to my problems.
▪ Why do you always blame me for everything?
▪ He always has sandwiches for his lunch.
▪ My dad’s always telling me I should get my hair cut.
almost always
▪ My brother is almost always late.
▷ every time /ˌevri ˈtaɪm/ [adverb/conjunction]
on every occasion - use this to say that when one thing happens, something else always happens :
▪ My neck hurts every time I turn my head.
▪ Every time we talk about money, we get into an argument.
▪ It seems like every time I play basketball, I get hurt.
▷ whenever /wenˈevəʳ/ [conjunction]
every time that something happens :
▪ He calls Nancy whenever he’s in town.
▪ Feel free to use my computer whenever you need to.
whenever possible
whenever you can
▪ I try to use public transport whenever possible.
▷ every /ˈevri/ [determiner]
every day/week/Monday etc
use this to say that something happens regularly on each day, each week etc :
▪ Thousands of tourists visit Spain every year.
▪ We go to the movies almost every Saturday night.
▪ Every year on her birthday, Jackie throws a big party at the Vineyard House.
▷ without fail /wɪðˌaʊt ˈfeɪl/ [adverb]
every day/week/year etc without fail
if you do something without fail you always do it :
▪ My mother goes to church every week without fail.
▪ You must take the medication every day without fail.
2. happening all the time, without stopping or changing
▷ always /ˈɔːlwɪz, ˈɔːlwəz, -weɪz/ [adverb]
all the time without changing :
▪ The temperature of the lake is always below fifty-five degrees.
▪ Ron is always in a bad mood in the morning.
▪ Our upstairs neighbor always keeps to himself. We hardly know him at all.
▷ all the time /ˌɔːl ðə ˈtaɪm/ [adverb]
▪ Gabrielle talks about her kids all the time.
▪ The couple upstairs argue all the time.
▪ I don’t have to wear my glasses all the time - just for reading.
▷ the whole time /ðə ˌhəʊl ˈtaɪm/ [adverb]
all the time while something is happening - use this about something annoying or surprising :
▪ He talked about himself the whole time I was with him.
▪ We realized that Duncan had been standing there the whole time.
▷ at all times /ət ˌɔːl ˈtaɪmz/ [adverb]
all the time - used especially in official notices and rules :
▪ Carry your passport with you at all times.
▪ Keep your hotel door locked at all times.
▷ constantly /ˈkɒnstəntliǁˈkɑːn-/ [adverb]
all the time, continuously :
▪ Shelly constantly tries to impress her boss.
▪ She constantly criticizes my cooking.
constant [adjective]
▪ The patient must be kept under constant supervision.
▪ The rains are constant in winter.
▷ permanently /ˈpɜːʳmənəntli/ [adverb]
all the time and never likely to change :
▪ Hardy was permanently banned from professional figure skating.
▪ It’s such a dangerous neighborhood that the windows of some stores are permanently barricaded.
permanent [adjective]
▪ The country seems to be in a permanent state of crisis.
▷ perennial /pəˈreniəl/ [adjective only before noun]
perennial problem/concern/struggle etc
one which people are concerned with all the time, and have been concerned with for a long time :
▪ High unemployment rates are a perennial problem in several European countries.
▪ Severe and unpredictable weather is a perennial danger for mountain climbers.
▷ unfailing /ʌnˈfeɪlɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
unfailing support/loyalty/good humour etc
support, loyalty etc that you can depend on because it never changes or grows weaker even when there is trouble or difficulty :
▪ I’d like to thank you all for your unfailing love and support.
▪ Peter’s unfailing humour made him popular with his fellow workers.
▷ incessant /ɪnˈses ə nt/
happening or done all the time without stopping, in a way that is very annoying :
▪ Julia became irritated by the child’s incessant talking.
▪ The incessant buzz of conversation filled the student cafeteria.
incessantly [adverb]
▪ Michael smokes incessantly.
▷ day in, day out /deɪ ˌɪn, deɪ ˈaʊt/
every day for a long time - use this especially to say that someone keeps doing something difficult, tiring, or boring for a long time, or that something keeps happening for a long time :
▪ Henry did the same thing, day in and day out, for over thirty years.
▪ Investigators are working day in, day out to determine the cause of the crash.
▷ morning, noon, and night /ˌmɔːnɪŋ ˌnuːn ə n ˈnaɪt/ spoken
said in order to emphasize that something happens all the time, especially something that is annoying :
▪ It seems like we’ve been going to meetings morning, noon, and night lately.
▷ 24/7 /ˌtwentifɔːʳ ˈsev ə n/ [adverb] informal
all the time without stopping :
▪ We’re here to help you 24/7.
▪ The deadline is next week, so everyone in the office is working 24/7.
3. during the whole of an event or period of time
▷ all the time /ˌɔːl ðə ˈtaɪm/ [adverb]
all the time (that)
▪ I couldn’t really enjoy my holiday because I was sick all the time I was there.
▪ All the time I was talking to him he just sat and stared at the television.
▷ throughout/all through /θruːˈaʊt, ˈɔːl θruː/ [preposition]
during all of a particular period of time, especially when this is a long time :
▪ Lester was sickly all through his childhood.
▪ Yvonne lived in Switzerland throughout the war.
▷ all day/night/summer etc long /ˌɔːl deɪ ˈlɒŋ ǁ-ˈlɔːŋ/ [adverb]
during all of the day, night, summer etc :
▪ It often rains here all day long.
▪ The music coming from the apartment upstairs kept me awake all night long.
▷ all along /ɔːl əˈlɒŋǁ-əˈlɔːŋ/ [adverb]
if a particular situation has existed all along, it has existed all the time right from the beginning, although you may not have known about it :
▪ I spent over an hour looking for my keys, and they were in my purse all along.
be right all along
▪ He realized that she’d been right all along.
▷ from start to finish/from beginning to end /frəm ˌstɑːʳt tə ˈfɪnɪʃ, frəm bɪˌgɪŋɪŋ tʊ ˈend/ [adverb]
if an event or something that you do is good, bad etc from start to finish, it is like that from the time it begins until it ends :
▪ It was an awful day at work - problems from start to finish.
▪ The whole thing was a disaster from beginning to end.
4. when something will always happen or always continue
▷ always /ˈɔːlwɪz, ˈɔːlwəz, -weɪz/ [adverb]
▪ I’ll always remember the day we first met.
▪ She said she would always love him.
▷ forever /fərˈevəʳ/ [adverb]
if something lasts or continues forever, it remains or continues for all future time :
▪ I’d like to stay here forever.
▪ The memory of that awful day is forever etched in my mind.
▷ permanently /ˈpɜːʳmənəntli/ [adverb]
a word meaning forever, for a very long time, or for the rest of your life - use this especially to talk about changes that you expect to last forever :
▪ The accident has left Hanson permanently disabled.
▪ Thirteen students were permanently expelled from the school.
▷ for ever and ever /fər ˌevər ənd ˈevəʳ/ [adverb]
for all future time - used especially by children or in children’s stories when someone feels extremely happy :
▪ It was a beautiful day, and Ellie wanted it to go on for ever and ever.
▷ for good /fəʳ ˈgʊd/ [adverb]
if someone leaves, comes back etc for good, they leave or come back permanently :
▪ The injury may keep him out of football for good.
▪ I’d like to stay in Colorado for good.
▷ for keeps /fəʳ ˈkiːps/ [adverb] spoken informal
if you have something for keeps, you have it forever :
▪ He’s given it to me for keeps.
▷ for all time /fər ˌɔːl ˈtaɪm/ [adverb] formal
forever, used especially when saying that something will last or be remembered forever because it is very good, special etc :
▪ The actions of those who died in the Great War will be remembered for all time.
▷ for life /fəʳ ˈlaɪf/ [adverb]
for the rest of your life :
▪ There’s no such thing as a job for life any more.
scarred/maimed/crippled/blind etc for life
▪ The abuse left him scarred for life.
▷ to/until your dying day /tuː, ənˌtɪl jɔːʳ ˌdaɪ-ɪŋ ˈdeɪ/ [adverb]
for the rest of your life - used especially in stories, plays etc :
▪ You will regret this until your dying day.
▪ I will remember your kindness to my dying day.
5. when something has always happened or always been true
▷ always /ˈɔːlwɪz, ˈɔːlwəz, -weɪz/ [adverb]
▪ I’ve always admired Sean Connery.
▪ Sylvia has always hated her nose.
▷ for as long as you can remember /fər əz ˌlɒŋ əz juː kən rɪˈmembəʳǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-/ [adverb]
during all the time that you can remember :
▪ The Watsons have lived on our street for as long as I can remember.
▪ The recipe is one that my mom has been making for as long as I can remember.
▷ since/from time immemorial /sɪns, frəm ˌtaɪm ˌɪmə̇ˈmɔːriəl/
use this to emphasize that something has always happened or someone has always done something :
▪ The Agaw people have inhabited that region since time immemorial.
6. remaining or continuing forever
▷ permanent /ˈpɜːʳmənənt/ [adjective]
continuing forever, for a very long time, or for the rest of your life :
▪ The car accident has caused permanent damage to her eyesight.
▪ Most police departments keep a permanent record of all violent crimes committed in their area.
▷ eternal /ɪˈtɜːʳnl/ [adjective]
eternal life/youth/salvation etc
life etc which continues forever :
▪ The possibility of eternal life is a principal belief of many religions.
▪ the search for eternal youth
eternally [adverb]
▪ If you can do this for me I will be eternally grateful.
▷ everlasting /ˌevəʳˈlɑːstɪŋ◂ǁ-ˈlæ-/ [adjective]
a word used especially in religious contexts, meaning continuing forever :
▪ life everlasting
▪ the Buddhist’s search for everlasting peace
▷ perpetual /pəʳˈpetʃuəl/ [adjective only before noun]
a state or feeling that is perpetual seems to be there all the time and is very annoying, upsetting, worrying etc :
▪ For many working mothers, balancing the demands of children and job is a perpetual challenge.
▪ Her husband’s perpetual jealousy strongly affected their marriage.
▷ never-ending /ˌnevər ˈendɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
having no end, or continuing so long that you think it will never end :
▪ To Miguel, the boredom of married life seemed never-ending.
▪ Keeping the house neat and clean is a never-ending battle.
▷ infinite /ˈɪnfɪnət, ˈɪnfənət/ [adjective]
continuing forever and never ending or stopping :
▪ It’s difficult to really imagine an infinite universe.
▪ She was a woman of seemingly infinite patience.