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never

adv
/ˈnɛv.ə/UK/ˈnɛv.ɚ/CA

Etymology

From Middle English nevere, navere, nævere, from Old English nǣfre (“never”), equivalent to ne + ever.

  1. inherited from nǣfre
  2. inherited from nevere

Definitions

  1. At no time

    At no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.

    • I finally finished, and I never do wanna do it again.
    • We were at the same college, but happened never to meet.
    • I'll never not like you.

  2. Not at any other time

    Not at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.

    • There is no jewel, be it of never so rich a price, which I set before this jewel: I mean your love.
    • "He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!--so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"
    • 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XIII: The Delights of Anticipation, I never saw such an infatuated man.

  3. Negative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense

    Negative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense; also used absolutely).

    • The police say I stole the car, but I never did it.
    • You said you were going to mow the lawn today. – I never!
    • "You're never going to break in?" "This instant, if you'll, help me; in five or ten minutes, if you won't."
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Did not

      Did not; didn't.

      • I told him to go to Woodlands to buy durian for me. He came back and said no durian. But he some more said-ah, he got see people selling durian in Bukit Timah. I ask him-ah. Why you never buy from Bukit Timah.
      • That's what he said. But I never see anything. Maybe it's an invisible dog. Or very good at hiding.

    2. A statement of defiance

      • ‘Guess what, I've won the pools!’ ‘Never!’

The neighborhood

Derived

a barking dog never bites, a dumb priest never got a parish, a magician never reveals his secrets, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, a watched kettle never boils, a watched pot never boils, a watched pot never boils over, a wild goose never laid a tame egg, a woman's work is never done, barking dogs never bite, beauty never boiled the pot, better late than never, cheaters never prosper, cheats never prosper, Deadly Never-Green, do a never, faint heart never won fair lady, first of never, I have never, ill-gotten gains never prosper, I never did, I never miss, I thought you'd never ask, it never rains but it pours, it never rains but that it pours, it's never too late to mend, I've never heard it called that before, lightning never strikes twice, lightning never strikes twice in the same place, misfortunes never come alone, misfortunes never come singly, nearly never bulled a cow, nearly never won the race, never a dull moment, never again, never ask the barber if you need a haircut, never-be, never been kissed, never change a running system, never-do-well · +82 more

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for never. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA