never

English Online Dictionary. What means never‎? What does never mean?

English

Alternative forms

• neuer (obsolete)
• ne'er, neva, nev'r, nevah, nevuh

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnɛv.ə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈnɛv.ɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɛvə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: nev‧er

Adverb

never (not comparable)

1. At no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.
   • 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XXI: A New Departure in Flavorings,

     "I never thought you were so fond of Mr. Phillips that you'd require two handkerchiefs to dry your tears just because he was going away," said Marilla.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:never

2. Not at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.
   • 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XIII: The Delights of Anticipation,

     I never saw such an infatuated man.

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

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

never

1. A statement of defiance

Derived terms

Anagrams

• Verne, erven, nerve

Latvian

Verb

never

1. inflection of nevērt:
   1. second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. third-person plural present indicative
   3. second-person singular imperative
2. (with the particle lai) third-person singular imperative of nevērt
3. (with the particle lai) third-person plural imperative of nevērt

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse næfr.

Noun

never f or m (definite singular neveren or nevra, indefinite plural nevrer or nevre, definite plural nevrene)

1. birchbark

Etymology 2

Noun

never m

1. indefinite plural of neve

References

• “never” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse næfr.

Noun

never f (definite singular nevra, indefinite plural nevrar or nevrer, definite plural nevrane or nevrene)

1. birchbark

References

• “never” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Romansch

Verb

never

1. (Sutsilvan) Alternative form of naiver (“to snow”)

Related terms

• nev