never

adverb

nev·​er ˈne-vər 

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

Synonyms of never

• not

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its epic-length bookends transposed the funereal aims of Bell Witch’s modern doom masterpiece Mirror Reaper to Floydian realms, while its gentler, more meditative midsection never completely renounced the artists’ metal roots. — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026

Perhaps never before in midterm contests has the electorate waved such a huge middle finger at a president and his craven enablers, otherwise known as Republicans. — Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026

Its brand had never quite recovered from the 2016 campaign, when it was thought to have tipped the scales against then-presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026

Surveillance devices are never permitted in spaces where guests have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, changing rooms, saunas or spa facilities. — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing never

• almost never
• a watched pot never boils
• it never fails
• it never rains but it pours
• lightning never strikes (the same place) twice
• never a dull moment
• never again
• never batted an eye
• never cease to amaze
• never dreamt
• never-ending
• never ever
• never fear
• never for one moment
• never had it so good
• never in someone's life
• never looked back
• never mind
• never more so
• never-never land
• never/not dream of
• never/not hear the end of it
• never/not in a thousand/million/billion years
• never/not miss a trick
• never say die
• never say never
• never so much as
• never the twain shall meet
• never the wiser
• never to return
• never you mind
• well, I never
• will never do
• Will wonders never cease
• wonders never cease
• would never dream of
• you'll never know
• you never know

Rhymes for never

• bever
• clever
• ever
• haver
• lever
• rever
• sever
• cantilever
• howsoever
• whatsoever
• whensoever
• wheresoever

Kids Definition

never

adverb

nev·​er ˈnev-ər 

1

: not ever : at no time

I never saw it before

never had a sick day in my life

2

: not to any extent or in any way

never fear