perpetual problem

[pər-ˈpe-chə-wəl ˈprä-bləm]
noun phrasepl: perpetual problems
problema perpétuo
1. A persistent difficulty or issue that continues indefinitely without resolution
Traffic congestion has become a perpetual problem in major cities.
O congestionamento de trânsito tornou-se um problema perpétuo nas grandes cidades.
2. An ongoing challenge that recurs repeatedly over time
Poverty remains a perpetual problem that societies struggle to solve.
A pobreza continua sendo um problema perpétuo que as sociedades lutam para resolver.
3. A chronic issue that seems impossible to eliminate completely
Cybersecurity is a perpetual problem for modern businesses.
A cibersegurança é um problema perpétuo para as empresas modernas.
In Brazilian culture, 'problema perpétuo' is frequently used to describe systemic social issues such as infrastructure problems, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and economic challenges. In the USA, the phrase reflects a pragmatic acknowledgment that certain societal challenges may require long-term management rather than complete eradication.
NYC Slang
a never-ending headache; a constant pain in the neck
Synonyms / Sinônimos
chronic problemongoing issuepersistent difficultyendless challengepermanent issuenagging problem
Antonyms / Antônimos
temporary problemsolved issueresolved difficultyone-time problem

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
problema perpétuo
Standard formal usage in media and academic contexts
Rio de Janeiro
problema permanente / problema que não acaba
Colloquial variation commonly used in casual speech
São Paulo
problema recorrente / problema contínuo
Business and professional contexts prefer 'recorrente'
Portugal
problema perene / problema permanente
'Perene' is more common in European Portuguese than 'perpétuo'

Related Words

persistentenduringchronicrecurrentunresolvedcontinuous

Related Idioms & Phrases

a thorn in one's side
a never-ending story
stuck between a rock and a hard place
like beating a dead horse
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