never

[ nev-er ]

adverb

1. not ever; at no time:

   Such an idea never occurred to me.

2. not at all; absolutely not:

   never mind;

   This will never do.

3. to no extent or degree:

   He was never the wiser for his experience.

never

/ ˈnɛvə /

adverb

1. at no time; not ever
2. certainly not; by no means; in no case

interjection

1. Alsowell I never! surely not!

Usage

In informal speech and writing, never can be used instead of not with the simple past tenses of certain verbs for emphasis ( I never said that; I never realized how clever he was ), but this usage should be avoided in serious writing

Word History and Origins

Origin of never¹

First recorded before 900; from Middle English, from Old English nǣfre, equivalent to ne “not” + ǣfre ever ( def ); neither ( def ), nought ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of never¹

Old English nǣfre, from ne not + æfre ever

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. never mind, don't bother; don't concern yourself.
2. never cease to amaze. never cease to amaze.

More idioms and phrases containing never

• better late than never
• it never rains but it pours
• lightning never strikes twice
• now or never
• watched pot never boils
• wonders will never cease
• you never can tell

Example Sentences

"The portrayal of the execution and secret burial of my mother is horrendous and unless you have lived through it, you will never understand just how cruel it is," he said.

From BBC

His career is on an upward trajectory but he has never played in any European club competitions, and that could count against him.

From BBC

Lisowski, 33, who is regarded as one of the best players to have never won a ranking tournament, now goes into Thursday afternoon's draw for the first Triple Crown event of the season in York.

From BBC

"This government will never play fast and loose with the public finances. Our new robust fiscal rules will deliver stability by getting debt down while prioritising investment to deliver growth."

From BBC

"True accountability demands transparency, not selective storytelling," the statement said, adding that they "never took a penny" from public donations.

From BBC