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

But that Tucker deal: The Dodgers committed $64 million in a signing bonus — never mind the salary! — to a player they arguably did not need.

From Los Angeles Times

For Patterson, getting the best out of his defenders never proved to be a problem at TCU, where he was known for unearthing underrated prospects on the defensive end.

From Los Angeles Times

He never played again in the major leagues, disappearing into the relative anonymity of pro ball in Korea, Venezuela, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

From Los Angeles Times

Chloe, from Newport, was admitted to hospital with dehydration early in her first pregnancy, when she had never even heard of HG.

From BBC

"We will never forget that they stood with us," they added.

From BBC