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.
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
The simple, awful truth is that free speech has never been particularly popular in America.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He looks like a man who should have had kids, but now never will.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In an email exchange a friend said many had repeated this same succinct review but they could never elaborate.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, almost exactly 30 years after the trial, the judge left his home to board a steamboat and was never heard from again.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the end, I find it never fails to modernize even the most dramatic things.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Now I had never thought of such a thing until he suggested it.
The Story of Scraggles|George Wharton James
I have never been in any place in which the relations with Moslems have been so easy and friendly.
Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume II (of 2)|Isabella L. Bird
Never could he look to the old gentleman for a friendly word, or a bit of help over a hard financial place again.
The Corner House Girls Growing Up|Grace Brooks Hill
Had that not been the case Bandy-legs could never have fallen down through it to land in the fireplace below.
With Trapper Jim in the North Woods|Lawrence J. Leslie
I think you will never get any more of your money back at all.'
The Orange Girl|Walter Besant
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 + æfreever
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