Thesaurus article: staying the same

staying the same

These words all refer to things, situations, or people who stay the same and do not change.

The most common word for this is constant. Constant is usually used to describe things.

Check to make sure your oven maintains a constant temperature.

She has been in constant pain since she fell.

In speech and in more informal contexts, you can use the phrase the same to say that a person or a thing has not changed from a previous point in time.

You look exactly the same as you did ten years ago!

She asked again, but his answer was the same.

The opposite of the same is different.

With her new haircut, she looks quite different.

For more opposites of same, see the article at different.

In informal contexts, you can use the phrase same old same old to say that something, and especially something boring or annoying, stays the same. Same old same old is common in speech, and it is used in US English more than it is used in UK English.

The Italian restaurant is under new management, but it's just the same old same old.

Unchanging is used to describe something that does not change. Unchanging is used in writing more than it is used in speech.

His novel is about the unchanging nature of humanity.

The adjective unchangeable refers to things that are not able to be changed and so do not change. Like unchanging, unchangeable is used in writing more than it is used in speech.

The company's position on the matter is absolute and unchangeable.

The opposite of unchanging is changing. The opposite of unchangeable is changeable. Changing and changeable are less formal than unchanging and unchangeable.

Technology enables us to follow world events in a rapidly changing society.

The weather here is so changeable.

In more technical contexts, something that is static does not change.

Fuel prices have been static for months.

Public opinion on the matter is not static, and has been slowly changing.

There are many words to talk about things that are able to change but are not changing now. If something, such as an amount or an action, is fixed, it used to be able to change but now cannot because of a decision or arrangement made.

Interest rates are fixed at 4 percent.

Similarly, if a level or amount is steady, it is not changing now and will not change suddenly.

Unemployment rates are holding steady.

Something that is firm does not change even if it is challenged or questioned. Firm is used especially to describe opinions.

They are firm in their opposition to the tax reform.

The sales price is $500 firm.

If something is consistent, it happens the same, usually positive way over and over again. If someone is consistent, they behave in the same way over and over again.

We've seen a consistent improvement in morale since the pay increases.

He sometimes does good work, but he's just not very consistent.

The formal adjective immutable is used to refer to something that is not able to change usually because it is thought to be impossible to change.

This is an immutable law of physics.

The opposite of immutable is mutable. Mutable, like immutable, is used in formal contexts.

Her novel explored the mutable nature of identity.

If something, such as an opinion, exists for so long that it cannot be changed or it will not change, you can call it entrenched or ossified. Both of these words are disapproving. Ossified is formal.

Children's gender-based toy preferences have been shown to be entrenched by age 3.

It is impossible to reform our ossified legal system.