/ˈnɛv.ə(ɹ)/, /ˈnɛv.ɚ/
OriginFrom Middle English nevere, navere, nævere, from Old English nǣfre (“never”), equivalent to ne + ever.
- not-comparableAt no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.
“I finally finished, and I never do wanna do it again.”
“We were at the same college, but happened never to meet.”
“I'll never not like you.”
- not-comparableNot at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.
“There is no jewel, be it of never so rich a price, which I set before this jewel: I mean your love.”
“"He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!--so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"”
“1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XIII: The Delights of Anticipation,
I never saw such an infatuated man.”
- colloquial, not-comparableNegative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense; also used absolutely).
“The police say I stole the car, but I never did it.”
“You said you were going to mow the lawn today. – I never!”
“"You're never going to break in?"
"This instant, if you'll, help me; in five or ten minutes, if you won't."”
- Manglish, Singlish, auxiliaryDid not; didn't.
“I told him to go to Woodlands to buy durian for me. He came back and said no durian. But he some more said-ah, he got see people selling durian in Bukit Timah. I ask him-ah. Why you never buy from Buk”
“That's what he said. But I never see anything. Maybe it's an invisible dog. Or very good at hiding.”
- A statement of defiance
“‘Guess what, I've won the pools!’ ‘Never!’”
Formsneuer(alternative, obsolete) · ne'er(alternative) · neva(alternative) · nev'r(alternative) · nevah(alternative) · nevuh(alternative)