everlasting

Alternative forms

• ever-lasting

Etymology

From Middle English, equivalent to ever +‎ lasting.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɛvɚˈlæstɪŋ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɛvəˈlɑːstɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æstɪŋ, -ɑːstɪŋ
• Hyphenation: ever‧last‧ing

Adjective

everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting)

1. Lasting or enduring forever; existing or continuing without end

   Synonyms: immortal, eternal

   • 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     Whether we shall meet again I know not; Therefore our everlasting farewell take; Forever, and forever farewell, Cassius.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 21:33:

     The Everlasting God.

2. Continuing indefinitely, or during a long period; perpetual; sometimes used, colloquially, as a strong intensive.

   this everlasting nonsense

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 17:8:

     I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee […] the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.

   • 1728, [Alexander Pope], “(please specify the page)”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin, London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC:

     And heard thy everlasting yawn confess
     The pains and penalties of idleness.

3. (philosophy) Existing with infinite temporal duration (as opposed to existence outside of time).

Adverb

everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting)

1. (colloquial) Extremely.
   • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter X, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

     The Jones man was looking at her hard. Now he reached into the hatch of his vest and fetched out a couple of cigars, everlasting big ones, with gilt bands on them.

Noun

everlasting (plural everlastings)

1. An everlasting flower.
   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     Reverently I replaced the grave-cloths, and, with a sigh that flowers so fair should, in the purpose of the Everlasting, have only bloomed to be gathered to the grave, I turned to the body on the opposite shelf, and gently unveiled it.

   • 1942, Emily Carr, “The Orange Lily”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC:

     With a backward look Small said, “What a lovely lily!”
     “Well enough but strong-smelling, gaudy. Come see the everlastings.”

   • 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 313:

     ‘It is true perhaps it is too late now for you to look like a rose; but you can always look like an everlasting.’

2. (historical) A durable cloth fabric for shoes, etc.
   • 1988, Eric Kerridge, Textile Manufactures in Early Modern England, page 64:

     Everlastings of one kind or another were used to make gaiters, shoe tops and liveries for sergeants and catchpoles.

3. (now rare, with 'the') God.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], signature C, recto:

     O that this too too sallied fleſh would melt, / Thaw and reſolue it ſelfe into a dewe, / Or that the euerlaſting had not fixt / His cannon gainſt ſeale ſlaughter, ô God, God,

Derived terms

References

• “everlasting”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.