never

American  

[nev-er] / ˈnɛv ər /

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.

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idioms

1. never cease to amaze. never cease to amaze.

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

never British  

/ ˈnɛvə /

adverb

1. at no time; not ever

2. certainly not; by no means; in no case

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interjection

1. Also: well I never!.  surely not!

never More Idioms  

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

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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

Etymology

Origin of never

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

Example Sentences

“Even if this fire had never happened, they’d still be paying the delivery premium, which includes the tariff,” said Kaustubh Chandorkar, an aluminum market analyst.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

And so, following a nine-month break from the majors, it is back to Augusta for the last leg of a Masters victory lap which he wants to never end.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

"We didn't want to impact the spermatogonial stem cells, because if you kill those, a man will never become fertile again," Cohen said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

But Cronin never seemed sold on him, starting him once in two years, playing him about 13 minutes a game last season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“No, wait. I’m just . . . I’ve never heard anyone describe science as art. Enlighten me. Please.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith