never
A statement of defiance
Adverb
- At 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 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. - 1601 November 30, Elizabeth I of England, Elizabeth I's Farewell Speech:
- "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!" - 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and...
- 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XIII: The Delights of Anticipation, I never saw such an infatuated man.
- Negative 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." - 1905, E. W. Horning, A Thief in the Night:
Origin
From Middle English nevere, navere, nævere, from Old English nǣfre (“never”), equivalent to ne + ever.
Forms
Synonyms
at latter Lammas at no time in the reign of Queen Dick ne'er never never ever not while pussy's a cat on the second Tuesday of the week sine die when Hell freezes over when pigs fly when two Sundays come together when two Sundays meet
Antonyms
all the time always consistently constantly continually continuously ever forever
Hyponyms
Related
a cold day in Hell February 31 Greek calends Neveruary first of never never in a million years never in a month of Sundays frequency
Derived
a barking dog never bites a dumb priest never got a parish a magician never reveals his secrets a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor a watched kettle never boils a watched pot never boils a watched pot never boils over a wild goose never laid a tame egg a woman's work is never done barking dogs never bite beauty never boiled the pot better late than never cheaters never prosper cheats never prosper Deadly Never-Green do a never faint heart never won fair lady first of never I have never ill-gotten gains never prosper I never did I never miss I thought you'd never ask it never rains but it pours
Interjection
- A statement of defiance
- ‘Guess what, I've won the pools!’ ‘Never!’
Forms
Derived
Verb
- Did 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 Bukit Timah. - 2007,...
- That's what he said. But I never see anything. Maybe it's an invisible dog. Or very good at hiding. - 2018, Jean Tay, Sisters & Senang: The Island Plays, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Scene 12, page 73: