eternity

/ɪˈtɜːnəti/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈtɜːrnəti/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈtər-nə-tē/ (ame, mw)

eternity — noun

1. time that continues forever, with no beginning or end

1.名詞B1
釋義

time that continues forever, with no beginning or end

例句

Tariro stared at the stars from the mountain cabin, feeling she was gazing into eternity itself.

gazing into eternity — visual use with preposition 'into'

Gabriel touched the ancient stone wall and wondered how many centuries of eternity it had witnessed.

centuries of eternity — collocation pairing finite and infinite spans

同義詞
  • infinity

    mathematical/philosophical term; slightly broader in scope

  • perpetuity

    formal, frequent in legal contexts ('in perpetuity')

  • timelessness

    emphasises the absence of time rather than endless duration

反義詞
  • moment

    an extremely short point in time

  • instant

    a single, brief point in time

文法句型

uncountable: eternity (as an abstract concept)

用法筆記

Common in philosophical, religious, and scientific writing about the nature of time. Distinguish from sense 2 (VERY LONG PERIOD), which expresses a subjective feeling rather than true endlessness.

常見錯誤

❌The meeting lasted an eternity' (when you mean it felt long).
✅The meeting felt like an eternity.
💡Use sense 2 for subjective duration; sense 1 refers to literal time without end.

2. a period that feels far longer than it really is, particularly while you are wai

2.名詞B1
釋義

a period that feels far longer than it really is, particularly while you are waiting or feeling bored

例句

Trang felt she had been waiting for an eternity before the doctor called her name.

wait for an eternity — common collocation

The two-hour meeting felt like an eternity to everyone in the room.

feel like an eternity — common pattern

同義詞
  • ages

    informal; 'I haven't seen you in ages!'

  • forever

    adverb, very common in everyday speech

  • yonks

    British informal; 'I haven't been there for yonks'

反義詞

文法句型

an + eternity

for + an + eternity

like + an + eternity

take + an + eternity + to-infinitive

用法筆記

This is a deliberate exaggeration (hyperbole) used in everyday speech. It does not refer to actual endless time — only to a period that felt very long, usually because of waiting, boredom, or discomfort.

常見錯誤

❌The train was an eternity late.
✅The train seemed to take an eternity to arrive.
💡'eternity' is a noun, not an adjective. Use 'an eternity' with verbs like 'take' or 'feel like'.

3. the endless existence of the soul or spirit that some religions teach continues

3.名詞B2
釋義

the endless existence of the soul or spirit that some religions teach continues after a person dies

例句

Diya knelt beside her grandfather's grave and said his soul had passed into eternity.

pass into eternity — religious collocation for death or afterlife

Asher hoped to be reunited with his grandmother in eternity someday.

in eternity — prepositional phrase for afterlife setting

同義詞
  • afterlife

    the most common neutral term for existence after death

  • immortality

    emphasises living forever rather than just the post-death state

  • heaven

    more specific; refers to a pleasant afterlife in several religions

反義詞
  • mortality

    the condition of being subject to death

  • death

    the end of physical life

文法句型

uncountable: in eternity

pass into eternity

journey into eternity

用法筆記

Used primarily in religious or spiritual contexts. This sense assumes a belief that the soul or consciousness continues after physical death. Distinguish from sense 1 (INFINITE TIME), which refers to time itself rather than a personal afterlife.