never
/ˈnɛvə
/adverb
1At no time in the past or future; not ever: they had never been camping in their lives I will never ever forget it...
- Throughout all this he never ever showed any remorse or any emotion for what he had done.
- She leapt out of bed and made him swear never ever to say anything like that again or it would put her off.
- We should not be so foolish as to believe these things will never return in the future.
Synonyms
at no time, not at any time, not ever, not once, on no occasion
literary ne'er
2Not at all: he never turned up...
- The Prime Minister has never been one to let a past friendship get in the way of making a new ally.
- His putt never troubles the hole and it slips a few feet past for another difficult putt.
- He certainly would never have got permission for a hotel, or even a six bedroom house.
Synonyms
not at all, certainly not, not for a moment, not under/in any circumstances, under/in no circumstances, on no account
informal no way, not on your life, not in a million years, not for love or money
British informal not on your nelly
2.1 [as exclamation] British informal (Expressing surprise) surely not: What, you, Annabel? Never!...
- What me? Never!
Phrases
never fear
never mind
never a one
never say die
well I never! (or well I never did!)
Origin
Old English nǣfre, from ne 'not' + ǣfre 'ever'.
Rhymes
- aesthetical
- aesthetically
- aesthetic distance
- aesthetician
- aestheticisation
- aestheticism
- aestheticist
- aestheticization
- aestheticize
- aesthetic-looking
- Aesthetic Movement
- aesthetics
- aesthiology
- aestho-physiology
- aestival
- aestivate
- aestivation
- aestivator
- aestive
- aestivo-autumnal
- aestuous
- aesymnetic
- a.e.t.
- aet.
- aetat.