continual vs. continuous : Choose Your Words - Vocabulary.com

Choose Your Words - The words continual and continuous are like twins: they both come from continue, but they get mad if you get them confused. SKIPTOCONTENT Thewordscontinualandcontinuousareliketwins:theybothcomefromcontinue,buttheygetmadifyougetthemconfused.Continualmeansstartandstop,whilecontinuousmeansnever-ending. Continualthingscomeandgo,likeargumentsorrain.Ifyourparents'continualarguingdrivesyoucrazy,justbegladtheystopsometimes!Withcontinualrain,you'llgetsomesunnybreaks,asIreland'sforecastersliketosay.OrinthisbitaboutthebirthofLynyrdSkynyrd: TherewerecontinualbattlesbetweenauthorityfigureslikeSkinnerandthefreespiritswhoformedtheband.(herald-review.com) Continuous,ontheotherhand,isnonstop.IftheyoungSkynyrdshadacontinuousargumentwithauthority,they'dneverstop,noteventosing"FreeBird."Withcontinuousrain,you'llneverseethesun.Aflightorawirecanbecontinuous: JongewardandWoodhouseendedupbreakingtherecordforcontinuousflight.Theystayedintheairfor1,124hours.(YumaSun) Atelegraphicsignalwouldgomorethanseventimesaroundtheearthinonesecondifittravelledononecontinuouswire.(ElmerEllsworthBurns) Continualischronic,likeacoughthatcomesandgoes,orateenager'ssporadicfightswithTheMan.Continuousislikeacircle,oranightmarecarouselthatnevereverstops.Neitheroneistheeviltwin;they'rebothmoody. Print Definition: continual Theadjectivecontinualdescribessomethingthat'srecurring,thathappensagainandagain.Ifyourpetwolfkeepsuphiscontinualhowlingallnight,yourneighborswillletyouknowaboutit.Continuereading... Definition: continuous Theadjectivecontinuousdescribessomethingthatoccursoverspaceortimewithoutinterruption.Somecomputerfansmakeacontinuousnoise—aconstantbuzz—thatcandriveyoutodistraction.Continuereading... MoreCommonlyConfusedWords abhorrent/aberrant accept/except ado/adieu adopt/adapt adverse/averse affect/effect afflict/inflict aggravate/irritate allude/elude allusion/illusion/delusion alternate/alternative ambiguous/ambivalent amicable/amiable amoral/immoral amuse/bemuse anecdote/antidote appraise/apprise ascent/assent assume/presume assure/ensure/insure aural/oral/verbal aver/avow bare/bear bazaar/bizarre breach/breech bridal/bridle broach/brooch callus/callous capital/capitol censor/censure chord/cord cite/site/sight climactic/climatic complement/compliment compose/comprise concurrent/consecutive confident/confidant(e) connotation/denotation connote/denote conscious/conscience contemptible/contemptuous continual/continuous correlation/corollary council/counsel decent/descent/dissent definitely/definitively demur/demure desert/dessert didactic/pedantic disassemble/dissemble discomfit/discomfort discreet/discrete disillusion/dissolution disinterested/uninterested disperse/disburse dual/duel economic/economical elusive/illusive emigrate/immigrate/migrate eminent/imminent eminent/imminent/immanent empathy/sympathy endemic/epidemic entitle/title entomology/etymology envelop/envelope envy/jealousy epidemic/pandemic epigram/epigraph epitaph/epithet especially/specially exalt/exult exercise/exorcise expedient/expeditious extant/extent facetious/factious/fatuous faint/feint farther/further faze/phase ferment/foment fictional/fictitious/fictive figuratively/literally flair/flare flaunt/flout flounder/founder formerly/formally formidable/formative fortunate/fortuitous gambit/gamut gibe/jibe gig/jig gorilla/guerrilla grisly/gristly/grizzly hale/hail healthful/healthy hero/protagonist historic/historical hoard/horde homonym/homophone/homograph hone/home imply/infer incredible/incredulous indeterminate/indeterminable indict/indite inflammable/inflammatory ingenious/ingenuous insidious/invidious instant/instance intense/intensive/intent introvert/extrovert irony/satire/sarcasm it's/its laudable/laudatory lay/lie loath/loathe lose/loose luxuriant/luxurious mantle/mantel marital/martial mean/median/average medal/meddle/mettle metaphor/simile moral/morale morbid/moribund nauseated/nauseous naval/navel objective/subjective optimistic/pessimistic overdue/overdo palate/palette/pallet paradox/oxymoron parameter/perimeter parody/parity peak/peek/pique peddle/pedal/petal persecute/prosecute personal/personnel pitiable/pitiful/piteous/pitiless pore/pour practical/practicable pragmatic/dogmatic precede/proceed precedent/president predominate/predominant premier/premiere prescribe/proscribe pretentious/portentous principal/principle prophecy/prophesy prostate/prostrate quote/quotation rebut/refute regrettably/regretfully reluctant/reticent respectfully/respectively sac/sack scrimp/skimp sensor/censor/censer sensual/sensuous simple/simplistic slight/sleight stationary/stationery statue/statute than/then that/which their/there/they're tortuous/torturous troop/troupe turbid/turgid unconscionable/unconscious undo/undue unexceptional/unexceptionable venal/venial veracious/voracious wave/waive weather/whether/wether who/whom who's/whose wreck/wreak/reek your/you're Signupnow(it’sfree!) 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