never

[ nev-er ]
/ ˈnɛv ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR never ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

not ever; at no time: Such an idea never occurred to me.
not at all; absolutely not: never mind; This will never do.
to no extent or degree: He was never the wiser for his experience.

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to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
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Idioms for never

    never mind, don't bother; don't concern yourself.

Origin of never

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English nǣfre, equivalent to ne “not” + ǣfre “ever”

Words nearby never

Nevada, Nevadan, Nevado del Ruiz, névé, Nevelson, never, never a dull moment, never-ending, never fear, Never give a sucker an even break, never had it so good, one
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to never

forget it, nevermore, no way, not at all, not in the least, not on your life, don't hold your breath

Example sentences from the Web for never

British Dictionary definitions for never

never
/ (ˈnɛvə) /

adverb, sentence substitute

at no time; not ever
certainly not; by no means; in no case

interjection

Also: well I never! surely not!

Word Origin for never

Old English nǣfre, from ne not + æfre ever

usage for never

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
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

Idioms and Phrases with never

never
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.