never
/ˈnɛvər/adverb★Beginner
general
At no time; not ever
She never lies to her friends.
This means she always tells the truth to her friends.
💡
Often used to emphasize the absolute nature of a statement.
emphatic
Not at any time in the past, present, or future
He never even tried to apologize.
This suggests a complete lack of effort to say sorry.
💡
Can express strong disapproval or disappointment.
Collocations
never mindused to dismiss something as unimportantnever everemphasizes the absolute nature of 'never'never againused to express a strong decision not to repeat something
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
never say neverproverb
do not rule out the possibility of something happening
💡Pro Tip
Emphasis
Use 'never' to strongly deny something or emphasize its impossibility.
⚡Gold Rule
Negative Context
'Never' is always used in negative sentences or questions.
📖Word Origin
Old English 'nǣfre', from Proto-Germanic '*ne aiwī' (not ever)
📝Usage Notes
Often used with 'will' to express a strong negative future intention (e.g., 'I will never do that again').
Word Breakdown
ne-
not
prefix-ver
ever
rootEnglish Dictionary