Eternity is time without an end or a state of existence outside time, especially the state which some people believe they will pass into after they have died.
I have always found the thought of eternity terrifying.
...laying him to rest for all eternity.
Synonyms: the afterlife, heaven [informal], paradise, the next world More Synonyms of eternity
2. singular noun
If you say that a situation lasted for an eternity, you mean that it seemed to last an extremely long time, usually because it was boring or unpleasant.
The war continued for an eternity.
The ringing went on for what seemed an eternity, and then someone answered.
Synonyms: ages, years, an age, centuries More Synonyms of eternity
More Synonyms of eternity
eternity in British English
(ɪˈtɜːnɪtɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
1.
endless or infinite time
2.
the quality, state, or condition of being eternal
3. (usually plural)
any of the aspects of life and thought that are considered to be timeless, esp timeless and true
4. theology
the condition of timeless existence, believed by some to characterize the afterlife
5.
a seemingly endless period of time
an eternity of waiting
eternity in American English
(iˈtɜrnəti; ɪˈtɜrnəti)
nounWord forms: pluraleˈternities
1.
the quality, state, or fact of being eternal; eternal existence or duration; continuance without end
2.
infinite time; time without beginning or end
3.
a long period of time that seems endless
an eternity of waiting
4.
the endless time after death
Word origin
ME eternite < OFr eternité < L aeternitas
Examples of 'eternity' in a sentence
eternity
He stood and stared at Jett for what seemed like an eternity.
Val McDermid DEAD BEAT (2002)
The one who had existed only then, in that darkened car, for fifteen short minutes of eternity.
Stewart, Michael COMPULSION (2002)
I don't want the poor thing to be scrunched up for all eternity.
J.A. Jance DEVIL'S CLAW (2002)
Quotations
Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?Tom StoppardRosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Every instant of time is a pinprick of eternityMarcus AureliusMeditations
Eternity is in love with the productions of timeWilliam BlakeThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell
In other languages
eternity
British English: eternity /ɪˈtɜːnɪtɪ/ NOUN
Eternity is time without an end, or a state of existence outside time, especially the state which some people believe they will pass into after they have died.
I have always been frightened by the idea of eternity.
American English: eternity
Arabic: خُلُود
Brazilian Portuguese: eternidade
Chinese: 永远
Croatian: vječnost
Czech: věčnost
Danish: evighed
Dutch: eeuwigheid
European Spanish: eternidad
Finnish: ikuisuus
French: éternité
German: Ewigkeit
Greek: αιωνιότητα
Italian: eternità
Japanese: 永遠性
Korean: 영원
Norwegian: evighet
Polish: wieczność
European Portuguese: eternidade
Romanian: eternitate
Russian: вечность
Latin American Spanish: eternidad
Swedish: evighet
Thai: นิรันดร
Turkish: sonsuz
Ukrainian: вічність
Vietnamese: sự vĩnh viễn
Chinese translation of 'eternity'
eternity
(ɪˈtəːnɪtɪ) (Rel)
n(u)
永生 (yǒngshēng)
it seemed to last for an eternity (inf) 时(時)间(間)长(長)得似乎无(無)穷(窮)无(無)尽(盡) (shíjiān cháng de sìhū wú qióng wú jìn)
1 (noun)
Definition
the timeless existence after death
I have always found the thought of eternity terrifying.
Synonyms
the afterlife
heaven (informal)
My idea of heaven is hiking with friends on a sunny day.
paradise
They believe they will go to paradise when they die.
the next world
the hereafter
2 (noun)
Definition
the state of being eternal
the idea that our species will survive for all eternity
Synonyms
perpetuity
immortality
belief in the immortality of the soul
infinity
the darkness of a starless night stretching into infinity
timelessness
endlessness
infinitude
time without end
3 (noun)
Definition
a seemingly endless period of time
The war went on for an eternity.
Synonyms
ages
years
an age
centuries
for ever (informal)
aeons
donkey's years (informal)
I made them last for donkey's years.
yonks (informal)
a month of Sundays (informal)
a long time or while
an age or eternity
Quotations
Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end? [Tom Stoppard – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead]Eternity! thou pleasing, dreadful thought! [Joseph Addison – Cato]Every instant of time is a pinprick of eternity [Marcus Aurelius – Meditations]Eternity is in love with the productions of time [William Blake – The Marriage of Heaven and Hell]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of donkey's years
I made them last for donkey's years.
Synonyms
a long time,
years,
ages,
for ever (informal),
yonks (informal),
an age or eternity
in the sense of heaven
Definition
a place or state of happiness
My idea of heaven is hiking with friends on a sunny day.