never

adverb

nev·​er ˈne-vər How to pronounce never (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Because that's how Jamie Lee is in real life; she's never been one to bite her tongue. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 The teacher explains how by being imprisoned, the cub will never learn to speak. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025 The Virgilian choice—the plough or the city, the field or the forum—has never been a real one. Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 The success is never in your hands. Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for never

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of never was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Never.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/never. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

never

adverb
nev·​er ˈnev-ər How to pronounce never (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on never

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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