1 never | Definition of never

never

adverb
nev·​er | \ ˈne-vÉ™r How to pronounce never (audio) \

Definition of never

1 : not ever : at no time I never met her
2 : not in any degree : not under any condition never the wiser for his experience

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Synonyms & Antonyms for never

Synonyms

ne'er

Antonyms

always, constantly, continuously, endlessly, ever, forever, perpetually

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Examples of never in a Sentence

I will never shop at that store again. I have never seen that happen before. That man has never heard of you. We will never forget what we saw. You never know what you'll find at a flea market. I never meant to hurt you. She never really said that. There is never enough time to finish our work. Never in my whole life have I been so offended! I gave him my business for years and never for one moment did I suspect that he was a criminal.
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Recent Examples on the Web

Her Native American mother never mentally recovered after Irish settlers raped her. San Francisco Chronicle, "Rashad Armstead fills a bag of French fries at his restaurant, Grammie's Down-Home Chicken, in Oakland.," 30 Aug. 2019 Levandowski and his teammates reprised the effort for the 2005 Grand Challenge, but Ghostrider was never a serious threat to the more capable vehicles developed by the likes of Carnegie Mellon and Stanford universities. Wired, "How Anthony Levandowski Put Himself at the Center of an Industry," 29 Aug. 2019 In the wake of a Chase Center tour: • The place will be sold out for years on end, and that’s the bottom line, but the Warriors should be concerned about empty courtside seats — never a good look for those watching on television. Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Wealthy Warriors fans will have great seats at Chase Center: But will they be filled?," 29 Aug. 2019 The company has gone out of business and has no assets, and Oguzturk was never arrested. Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Turk who exported Wisconsin boat equipment to Iranian navy sentenced," 29 Aug. 2019 There's also a version of Newt Scamander's infamous never-ending briefcase that was turned into a rustic mounting drawer to hold all of your treasures. Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Pottery Barn's Fantastic Beasts Collection Will Turn Your Room Into Magic," 29 Aug. 2019 The Nighthawk dedicates one of its three bands to communicating with the router, so there’s never competition between you and the router as to who gets the extender’s attention. Don Melanson, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Wifi Extenders for Blazing Fast Internet at Home," 29 Aug. 2019 Just like the Tibi blazer above, investing in a cashmere cardigan is never a bad idea. Kami Phillips, CNN Underscored, "10 white styles you should totally wear after Labor Day," 29 Aug. 2019 Simrall said at the time that city officials never intended for Louisville to be a guinea pig or experiment. Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, "Repairs underway on roads left damaged after Google Fiber's exit from Louisville," 28 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'never.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of never

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for never

Middle English, from Old English nǣfre, from ne not + ǣfre ever — more at no

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More Definitions for never

never

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of never

: not ever : not at any time
used to express surprise, doubt, or disbelief
used to say that you did not do something

never

adverb
nev·​er | \ ˈne-vÉ™r How to pronounce never (audio) \

Kids Definition of never

1 : not ever : at no time He never said he was innocent.
2 : not to any extent or in any way Never fear, I have the solution.

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More from Merriam-Webster on never

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with never

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for never

Spanish Central: Translation of never

Nglish: Translation of never for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of never for Arabic Speakers