Never_1 Adverb - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage Notes

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Definition of never adverb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

  

never

 adverbadverb NAmE//ˈnɛvər//  jump to other results
1. 1not at any time; not on any occasion You never help me. He has never been abroad. “Would you vote for him?” “Never.” “I work for a company called Orion Technology.” “Never heard of them.” Never in all my life have I seen such a horrible thing. Never ever tell anyone your password.

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2. 2used to emphasize a negative statement instead of “not” I never knew (= didn't know until now) you had a twin sister. I never realized just how easy it is. Someone might find out, and that would never do (= that is not acceptable). He never so much as smiled (= did not smile even once). (old-fashioned or humorous) Never fear (= Do not worry), everything will be all right.
Idioms Well, I never! (old-fashioned) jump to other resultsused to express surprise or disapproval Well, I never! Fancy getting married and not telling us!

See never in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: never

Other results

All matches

• never exclamation
• never-ending adjective
• never-never land noun
• never mind
• never say die
• you never know
• never you mind
• you can never tell
• you never can tell
• better late than never
• never/not look back
• (it's) now or never
• well I never (did)!
• wonders will never cease
• a watched pot never boils
• never darken my door again
• never the twain shall meet
• never tire of doing something
• not/never hear the end of it
• never mind (about) (doing) something

See more Idioms

• never mind
• never say die
• you never know
• never you mind
• you can never tell
• you never can tell
• better late than never
• never/not look back
• (it's) now or never
• well I never (did)!
• wonders will never cease
• a watched pot never boils
• never darken my door again
• never the twain shall meet
• never tire of doing something
• not/never hear the end of it
• never mind (about) (doing) something
• not/never in a hundred, etc. years
• not/never in somebody's wildest dreams
• lightning never strikes (in the same place) twice

See more

Nearby words

• neutron bomb noun
• Nevada
• never adverb
• never exclamation
• never-ending adjective