Synonyms

ever

American

[ev-er] / ˈɛv ər /

adverb

at all times; always.

an ever-present danger; He is ever ready to find fault.

Synonyms:

constantly, perpetually, eternally

Antonyms:

never
continuously.

ever since then.
at any time.

Have you ever seen anything like it?
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

South Midland and Southern U.S. every.

She rises early ever morning.

idioms

ever and again, now and then; from time to time. Also ever and anon.
ever so, to a great extent or degree; exceedingly.

They were ever so kind to me.

ever British

/ ˈɛvə /

adverb

at any time

have you ever seen it?
by any chance; in any case

how did you ever find out?
at all times; always

ever busy
in any possible way or manner

come as fast as ever you can
informal (intensifier, in the phrases ever so, ever such, and ever such a )

ever so good
ever such bad luck
ever such a waste
archaic now and then; from time to time
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.

Neither Uranus nor Neptune has ever hosted an orbiter or long-term mission, making them the only planets in the solar system that have not been closely examined over time.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

In one of the others, at Aston Villa, he had to go off at half-time, which was a shock in itself because Fernandes hardly ever misses a game.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Those advances allowed architects and developers to push building heights ever higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Claim: “In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, victories like few people have ever seen before.”

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

“Well, is that it? It doesn’t sound all that exciting or special. It’s not like we ever thought I was supposed to stay here.”

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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