never

adverb

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

Synonyms of never

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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.
As a vocalist, Rose has never sounded zanier or more frenzied. — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026 What catches the eye instead are the colored strips of tape running across the wall, like placeholders for the artworks that never got to hang in such a space. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Netanyahu denies he was warned and has never admitted any kind of responsibility for the security failure. — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 Maria Helena Vilanova, a 76-year-old Bolsonaro voter, said her candidate of choice would never do such a thing. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing never

Rhymes for never

See All Rhymes for never

Browse Nearby Words

Nevelson
never
never a dull moment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Never.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/never. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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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
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