persevere
to keep going despite difficulty
Roots
- per-: through, thoroughly, or completely
- severus / severe: serious, strict, or steady through difficulty
Other words with the severus / severe root
- perseverance: steady persistence through difficulty
- severe: serious, strict, intense, or harsh
Persevere carries the steady-through-difficulty feeling before perseverance becomes the noun.
She chose to persevere after the first practice score disappointed her.