Nonstop means continuing without any pauses, breaks, or interruptions. When a flight is nonstop, the plane flies directly from one city to another without landing anywhere in between. When rain falls nonstop for three days, it never stops, not even for a few minutes.

The word describes action that keeps going and going. A friend might talk nonstop about their new puppy, barely taking a breath between sentences. A factory might run nonstop, operating 24 hours a day. Marathon runners push themselves through hours of nonstop running, their feet hitting the pavement over and over without rest.

You can use nonstop as an adjective (a nonstop flight) or as an adverb (it rained nonstop). The word often suggests intensity or even exhaustion: nonstop studying before a big test, nonstop noise from construction next door, or nonstop excitement during a theme park visit. While nonstop activity can be thrilling or productive, it can also be draining. Sometimes the most valuable thing about something nonstop finally ending is the quiet moment that follows.