ever

adverb

ev·​er ˈe-vər 

1

: always

ever striving to improve

the ever-increasing population

2

a

: at any time

more than ever before

b

: in any way

How can I ever thank you?

3

—used as an intensive

looks ever so angry

am I ever happy to see you

see also:

ever and anon

Synonyms of ever

• forever
• always
• permanently

Examples of ever in a Sentence

The crime rate is higher now than it has ever been.

He's forgotten all he's ever learned about history.

Have you ever been to France?

She's doing fine and is as pretty as ever.

No one has ever seen a better example of woodwork.

Has this ever been done before?

Did it ever occur to you that I might like more myself?

That was the worst movie I ever saw.

Technology in recent years has become ever more sophisticated.

The deadline draws ever closer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Leaves are changing colors, children are back in school and the ever popular pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks coffee shops. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 22 Sep. 2026

Replacing Deschamps is none other than Zinedine Zidane, arguably the greatest player to ever suit up for Les Bleus. — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Eagle Hills’ portfolio spans at least 18 countries; for the Maldives, the project marks its largest-ever investment. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

By this metric, Hurricane Polo is the second-strongest hurricane on record in the eastern Pacific Ocean — only after Hurricane Patricia of 2015, itself the strongest ever recorded by wind speed and a product of that year’s Super El Niño. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English ǣfre

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing ever

• as ever
• ever after
• ever and anon
• ever-changing
• ever present
• ever since
• ever so
• ever so slightly
• ever such
• hardly ever
• if it's the last thing someone (ever) does
• lived happily ever after
• live happily ever after
• never ever
• rarely/seldom ever
• rarely/seldom if ever
• Yours ever

Rhymes for ever

• bever
• clever
• haver
• lever
• never
• rever
• sever
• cantilever
• howsoever
• whatsoever
• whensoever
• wheresoever

Kids Definition

ever

adverb

ev·​er ˈev-ər 

1

: at all times : always

ever faithful

2

a

: at any time

has this ever been done before

b

: in any way : at all

how can I ever thank you

3

—used especially with so to give more force to a word

thank you ever so much