continually

/kənˈtɪnjuəli/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈtɪnjuəli/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈtin-yü-ə-lē -yə-lē/ (ame, mw)

continually — 副詞

1. happening again and again, often so frequently that it becomes tiresome or very

1.副詞B1
釋義

不斷地

反覆發生，常帶煩躁語氣

happening again and again, often so frequently that it becomes tiresome or very noticeable — for example, a phone that keeps buzzing, a colleague who keeps interrupting, or a cough that will not stop.

例句

The baby was continually waking up during the night, so Hana barely slept.

寶寶夜裡不斷醒來，Hana 幾乎沒睡到覺。

was continually + V-ing for repeated actions

Diego's phone buzzed continually throughout the dinner, which annoyed everyone at the table.

Diego 的手機在晚餐時不斷嗡嗡作響，惹惱了全桌的人。

buzzed continually — adverb after verb

同義詞
  • repeatedly

    more neutral; lacks the annoyed tone that continually often carries

  • over and over

    informal; emphasises the frustrating cycle of repetition

  • incessantly

    stronger and more negative; suggests the action never lets up

反義詞

用法筆記

Often carries a tone of mild frustration — the repeated action is seen as excessive or unwelcome. Common with verbs of complaining, interrupting, asking, or malfunctioning.

常見錯誤

❌The machine ran continually for three hours without stopping.
✅The machine ran continuously for three hours without stopping.
💡'continually' fits repeated but gapped actions; 'continuously' means no break at all.

2. happening all the time without any break or pause — for example, a river that fl

2.副詞B2
釋義

持續地

不間斷地一直發生

happening all the time without any break or pause — for example, a river that flows night and day, or a system that operates without ever being turned off.

例句

The river has flowed continually down from these mountains for thousands of years.

這條河從這些山上持續流下，已流了數千年。

has flowed continually — present perfect + adverb for uninterrupted duration

Wen's computer has been running continually for the past four days without any crash.

Wen 的電腦已經持續運行了四天，完全沒有當機。

同義詞
  • continuously

    very similar in meaning; preferred for scientific or technical descriptions of gapless processes

  • non-stop

    informal; common in everyday speech ('it rained non-stop')

  • unceasingly

    more formal and literary; emphasises the absence of any pause

反義詞

用法筆記

Unlike SENSE 1 (REPEATEDLY), this sense does not carry annoyance. It describes an unbroken flow. The difference from continuously is very small here — many native speakers use the two interchangeably for uninterrupted actions, though strictly speaking continuously is preferred for truly gapless processes (e.g. a continuous line).

常見錯誤

❌She continually studied for six hours without a break.
✅She continuously studied for six hours without a break.
💡When there is truly no pause, continuously is clearer.