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Synonyms

ever

American  
[ev-er] / ˈɛv ər /

adverb

  1. at all times; always.

    an ever-present danger; He is ever ready to find fault.
    Synonyms:
    constantly, perpetually, eternally
    Antonyms:
    never

  2. continuously.

    ever since then.

  3. at any time.

    Have you ever seen anything like it?

  4. in any possible case; by any chance; at all (often used to intensify or emphasize a phrase or an emotional reaction as surprise or impatience).

    How did you ever manage to do it? If the band ever plays again, we will dance.

adjective

  1. South Midland and Southern U.S. every.

    She rises early ever morning.

idioms

  1. ever and again, now and then; from time to time. Also ever and anon.

  2. ever so, to a great extent or degree; exceedingly.

    They were ever so kind to me.
ever British  
/ ˈɛvə /

adverb

  1. at any time

    have you ever seen it?

  2. by any chance; in any case

    how did you ever find out?

  3. at all times; always

    ever busy

  4. in any possible way or manner

    come as fast as ever you can

  5. informal (intensifier, in the phrases ever so, ever such, and ever such a )

    ever so good

    ever such bad luck

    ever such a waste

  6. archaic now and then; from time to time

  7. slang he displays the quality concerned in abundance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ever More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing ever

Related Words

See always.

Etymology

Origin of ever

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English ǣfre

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My question was, admittedly, a bit esoteric and although I had to nudge the agent ever so slightly, I managed to get my answer pretty quickly, nonetheless.

From Salon

All this comes at a time when more people are sailing the high seas than ever before, according to Cruise Lines International Association, the industry trade group.

From MarketWatch

Gorgeously produced with a cornucopia of photos and movie stills, this tome clocks in at 501 pages and answers almost every question you ever had about the legendary filmmaker.

From The Wall Street Journal

Other characters from Super Mario Galaxy, widely considered one of the greatest video games ever released, also feature in promotional material for the film.

From BBC

The decision marked the sixth release in the group’s history and the largest one ever.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.