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to last

to last

1.0
To continue for a period of time
  • verb
  • /læst/
translation icon : durar
  • So this is good for people who want their makeup to last all day.
  • last long
  • last 45 minutes
  • last for years

It was like that first night lasted a year.

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Examples

  • OK, not all friends will last forever and that's OK.

  • And honestly, when I do this, these curls last for so long.

  • The message, if we hear it, is make it last all year.

  • All I want is your love to last me forever and a day."

  • So I need this makeup to last all day and night.

  • Look, in my life, Christmas lasts for multiple months.

  • I'm not asking for it to last forever.

  • But most stars will last for trillions of years.

  • Testing is conducted on-site during visits that last an average of 2 hours.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The storm is expected to last until midnight, so we should stay inside.

Synonyms

to remain
vsto last
1.0

To stay in the same place or state and not change

refers to general continuing rather than fixed place or state
to survive
vsto last
2.7

Continue to exist after a dangerous or difficult event

is broader and not limited to continuing after danger or harm
to continue
vsto last
227 1.1

To last over a distance or time

is the general idea of continuing for any period
to endure
vsto last
94 3.6

To continue to exist for a long time despite problems

describes lasting without the sense of hardship or struggle
to persist
vsto last
61 3.5

To keep existing for a long time, often longer than expected

emphasizes ordinary continuing without stressing unexpected length
to live on
vsto last
38 3.2

To continue to exist after a dangerous or difficult time

is general continuing not focused on conditions after danger
to perdure
vsto last
  • Formal
9.9

To last for a very long time

is the general sense without stressing extremely long duration

Antonyms

324 3.6

To stop or come to an end

147 4.6

To make something stop or finish

Idioms

427 1.0

Finally after a long wait or delay

every last
  • Informal
111 3.2

Every single one with no exceptions

Happening just before the last possible moment to act

81 4.4

A final decision by someone with the power to decide

Introduce the last person or thing and show they are equally important

last laugh
  • Informal
21 3.5

A final success that surprises people who doubted you

last straw
  • Informal
20 4.4

The final small problem that makes someone lose patience

the last straw
  • Informal
17 3.9

The final small problem that makes someone lose patience and act

12 3.1

Finally, after a long wait

dead last
  • Informal
9 7.2

In the very last position in a race or ranking

7 7.2

Being very tired or worn out and about to break down

6 6.0

Something a person is not thinking about or worrying about right now

every last penny
  • Informal
3 3.1

All the money a person has

2 7.9

To stop living

To breathe for the last time before you die

To stop living

1 5.3

In a way that shows something is most important

To tell someone to stick to what they know

Fail at the final stage after earlier success

A unique thing or event that will never happen again

A person who thinks they are special and sometimes feels out of place

8.3

Kind people are less likely to do well than selfish people

9.9

To be finished and unable to continue working or succeeding

9.9

To keep trying until everything is finished no matter how long it takes

Something you do not want at an important or difficult time

Only work in the area you know well

To keep supporting something until the very end, no matter how long it takes

Phrasal Verbs

Come in last place in a race or competition

4 5.0

Continue to exist through a hard time until the end

Compounds

300 1.0

A name people in the same family share, usually after the first name

240 1.9

The latest time before something must happen

103 3.7

Happening just before a deadline or event

last word
  • Informal
70 4.8

A final remark in a discussion to end the argument

69 3.5

A final thing you try when all other options have failed

31 6.1

The final moment when a person dies

30 3.3

In the lowest position in a competition or list

23 7.0

A final attempt to succeed when nothing else works

Last Day
  • Literature
16 8.7

A day at the end of time when God judges everyone for their actions

last rites
  • Formal
16 7.2

A religious ceremony for a person who is dying or has just died

14 6.1

A final strong effort to resist a change or attack when defeat seems near

13 4.6

A final decision or ruling that ends a matter

Last Supper
  • Literature
9 4.9

A final meal Jesus ate with his disciples before he was killed on a cross

8 4.7

A final chance to order drinks before a bar closes

last hurrah
  • Informal
7 6.3

A final big action or event before something ends

last gasp
  • Informal
7 6.3

A final effort before something ends or fails

last respects
  • Formal
5 3.8

An act of saying goodbye to someone who has died, usually at their funeral

4 5.1

The one before the last in a series

4 1.4

The later part of a game or match after the break

last quarter
  • Specialized
4 4.1

Half the Moon is lit when it comes after a full moon and before a new moon

A final effort you make when nothing else works

A gift bought shortly before it is needed

A choice someone makes very late, just before something happens

Last Judgment
  • Literature
2 9.3

A final day when God decides each person's fate, rewarding good and punishing bad

last hurdle
  • Informal
2 4.0

The final difficulty you must get past before you finish something

last full measure
  • Literature
1 9.5

A final effort using all a person's strength or life for a cause

1 1.0

The final piece of food that remains when others are gone

An 1876 battle at Little Bighorn where Sioux and Cheyenne killed General Custer and his soldiers

last mile
  • Specialized
1 4.1

The final part of bringing goods from a warehouse to the customer

A final chance to succeed or avoid failure

last trump
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A final strong action you keep for when nothing else works

A final desperate try to succeed when success seems unlikely

cobbler's last
  • Specialized
9.9

A solid shape like a foot used to make or fix shoes

last in first out
  • Specialized
6.9

An inventory method where the newest items are counted as sold first

last in first out
  • Specialized
4.6

A data structure like a stack where the newest item is removed first

The person or thing talked about most recently

last mile
  • Archaic
9.9

The final walk a prisoner takes to the place of execution

A final meeting or event that ends a series

A decision made at the very last moment as a desperate effort

A person who is arranged to care for children shortly before the care is needed

trade-last
  • Informal
9.9

A compliment you give in return for a compliment you received

shoemaker's last
  • Specialized
9.9

A solid foot-shaped form that people who make shoes use to shape or repair shoes

How Long

to survive
2.7
to endure
304 3.5
to persist
61 3.5
to last
1.0
to remain
1.0
to linger
207 3.7

Surface Forms

last infinitive
lasted past
lasted past participle
lasting present participle
lasts third person singular

Etymology

Last as a verb comes from an old English verb lǣstan meaning 'to remain' or 'to continue', so when something lasts it 'remains' or continues for a period of time.