permanent

Compared meaning: lasting forever or for a very long time (adjective).

比较义项：永久的，或永远持续不变（形容词）。

• permanent 本词

  The most neutral, everyday word for something lasting forever or not meant to change; contrasts directly with 'temporary' and is used for physical states, jobs, solutions or damage.

  最中性、最常用的词，指永久持续或不会改变的事物；常与“temporary（暂时的）”相对，多用于描述物理状态、工作、解决方案或损坏。

  The doctors said the nerve damage from the accident is permanent.

  医生说事故造成的神经损伤是永久性的。

• perpetual

  Emphasizes continuing without stopping or happening again and again, often with a mildly negative or exasperated tone about something repetitive or unrelenting.

  强调持续不断或反复发生、从未停止，常带有轻微的负面或无奈语气，形容令人厌烦、无休止的状态。

  The kids complained about the perpetual noise from the construction site next door.

  孩子们抱怨隔壁工地那持续不断的噪音。

• eternal

  The strongest and most elevated word, meaning without any end at all; typically used in emotional, spiritual or poetic contexts like love, life or glory, rather than ordinary facts.

  语气最强烈、最富诗意或宗教色彩的词，表示“永无止境”，多用于爱情、生命、荣耀等情感或精神层面的语境，而非普通事实。

  The monument honors the soldiers' eternal glory.

  这座纪念碑颂扬士兵们永恒的荣耀。

• abiding

  A more formal, literary word almost always describing lasting feelings, beliefs or interests rather than physical things; suggests deep, steady devotion rather than mere duration.

  更正式、文学化的词，几乎只用来形容持久的情感、信念或兴趣，而不用于具体事物，强调深厚而稳定的情感，而非单纯的时间长短。

  Despite the divorce, she kept an abiding affection for her ex-husband's family.

  尽管离婚了，她对前夫的家人仍怀有持久的情感。

Permanent, perpetual, eternal, and abiding all describe lasting a long time. Permanent is the most neutral word, opposed to temporary. Perpetual stresses continuing without stopping. Eternal is the strongest, meaning no end, used for love or life. Abiding is formal, literary, mainly for lasting feelings.

这四个词都表示“持续很久或永远不变”，但语气强弱和使用场合不同：permanent 最常用、最中性，常与“temporary（暂时的）”相对；perpetual 强调不停歇、反复发生，语气略带无奈或负面；eternal 语气最强烈，多用于爱情、生命、荣耀等情感或宗教语境，带诗意色彩；abiding 更正式、文学化，几乎只用来形容持久的情感或信念。

Compared meaning: a hairstyle made by curling the hair (noun).

比较义项：烫发（名词）。

• permanent 本词

  An old-fashioned, mainly American English noun for a perm; today it sounds dated and is mostly used by older speakers or in nostalgic contexts.

  permanent 是一个较为老式、主要用于美式英语的名词，用来指“烫发”；如今听起来有些过时，多见于年长者的口语或怀旧语境中。

  My grandmother still gets a permanent every spring, just like she did in the 1960s.

  我祖母每年春天还是会去做一次 permanent，就跟她在二十世纪六十年代做的一样。

• perm

  The standard, everyday word for this hairstyle in both American and British English; natural for speakers of any age, without the dated tone of permanent.

  perm 是这种发型在美式和英式英语中通用的标准日常说法，各年龄段的人都会自然使用，没有 permanent 那种老派的语气。

  She got a perm last week, and now her hair is full of tight curls.

  她上周做了个 perm，现在头发全是紧紧的卷儿。

Permanent and perm both mean this curled hairstyle. Permanent is an old-fashioned, mainly American word, sounding dated. Perm is the standard, everyday word in both American and British English, natural for any age. Not compared: permanent as an adjective, or perm as a verb.

这两个词在“烫发”这个意义上很接近，都指用药水和卷发工具把头发烫卷的处理或发型，但 permanent 是较老式、偏正式的说法，perm 是更通用、口语化的现代说法。这里不比较 permanent 作形容词表示“永久的”的用法（如 a permanent solution），也不比较 perm 作动词“给…烫发”的用法。