at no time; not ever certainly not; by no means; in no case
- Also: well I never!
surely not!
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
nev•er /ˈnɛvɚ/USA pronunciation
adv.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- not ever;
at no time;
not at any time:It never happened. He never knew what hit him. - not at all;
absolutely not:This will never do.
- Idioms never mind, don't bother;
don't concern yourself:Never mind about your mistake.
nev•er
(nev′ər),USA pronunciation adv.
- not ever;
at no time:Such an idea never occurred to me. - not at all;
absolutely not:never mind; This will never do. - to no extent or degree:He was never the wiser for his experience.
- Idioms never mind, don't bother;
don't concern yourself.
- bef. 900; Middle English; Old English nǣfre, equivalent. to ne not + ǣfre ever
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