ever
Americanadverb
-
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
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.
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
Synonym Usage
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.
The CMS is in more demand than ever - the number of cases has risen by about 300,000 in the past five years.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
"This bas-relief was already known, but no one had ever noticed the identical details to those found in Homer's cave. This is the first time such a detailed geographical description came to light," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Who would have ever thought that sitting could be painful?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Peter Thiel’s $250,000 fellowship for dropouts who start ventures is more competitive than ever since its 2011 launch, and Palantir Technologies has started a similar program for high-school graduates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The small beach has more people on it than I’ve ever seen.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
