never
gb/nˈɛvɚ/ us/nˈɛvɚ/
A1
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A1
relation
1
Not at any time
Not at any time; not ever.
Usage pattern:
never [verb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'never' with 'no' or 'not', leading to incorrect double negatives like 'I don't never go'.
Synonyms
not ever (A direct equivalent, slightly more explicit.)
Antonyms
always (Indicates something happens every time, the opposite of never.)
Collocations
never forget
|never know
|never happen
|never again
|never mind
Themes
daily life
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I have never been to Japan.
- She never calls me anymore.
- He never eats meat.
- We never saw him again after that day.
- They never agreed on the issue.
Learner examples
- I never eat fish.
- He never goes to school on Sunday.
- We never play soccer at night.
- She never drinks coffee.
- They never watch TV in the morning.
adverb
A2
relation
2
Not in any case
Used to say something will not happen in any situation.
Usage pattern:
never [verb] under [conditions]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'never' incorrectly with future tense forms like 'I will never go' vs. 'I never go', not realizing one is about the future and one about habit.
Synonyms
under no circumstances (More formal, used for strong emphasis.)
Antonyms
definitely (Expresses certainty that something will happen, opposite of refusal or impossibility.)
Collocations
never ever
|never under any circumstances
|never in a million years
Themes
daily life
|emphasis
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I would never lie to you.
- She will never agree to those terms.
- He’ll never change his mind.
- We could never afford such a car.
Learner examples
- I will never eat that food.
- He will never play with us.
- She will never go there.
- We will never buy this car.
adverb
informal
B1
action
3
Expression of surprise or doubt
Used to show you are surprised or do not believe what someone said.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this use is conversational and may try to use it in formal writing incorrectly.
Synonyms
really (Also expresses surprise but less emphatic or dramatic.)
Themes
emotions
|conversation
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You won the lottery? Never!
- "I met a celebrity yesterday." "Never!"
- "He quit his job." "Never!"
Learner examples
- "I saw a ghost." "Never!"
- "She is moving to Paris." "Never!"
- "They are getting married." "Never!"
Grammar
Dictionary form
never
IPA
GB/nˈɛvɚ/
US/nˈɛvɚ/
Syllables & stress
nev - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (nev)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: never
- Plural: nevers
Word family
Forms
nevers
noun
Related words
ever
adverb A2
never-ending
adjective
Expressions
never mind
1/nˈɛvɚ mˈaɪnd/
fixed phrase
Forget it; it’s not important
Used to tell someone to ignore what you just said or asked.
Examples
- "What time is it?" "Oh, never mind, I found my phone."
- I started to explain, but then said, "Never mind."
now or never
1/nˈaʊ ˈɔɹ nˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
Act immediately or lose chance forever
Used to say that something must be done right now or it will be too late.
Examples
- It’s now or never if we want those tickets.
- This is your chance—now or never!
better late than never
1/bˈɛtɚ lˈeɪt ðən nˈɛvɚ/
idiom
Doing something late is better than not at all
It is better to do something late than to not do it at all.
Examples
- He finally apologized—better late than never.
- They arrived after the movie started, but better late than never.
- I know I’m sending this card weeks after your birthday, but better late than never.
never again
1/nˈɛvɚ əɡˈɛn/
fixed phrase
Not happening in the future again
Used to say you will not do something another time in the future.
Examples
- Never again will I eat there!
- That was terrible—never again!
- He promised never again to be late.
- After that trip, I said, "Never again."
you never know
1/jˈu nˈɛvɚ nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
express uncertainty about events
Used to say that something is possible, even if it seems unlikely.
Examples
- We might win — you never know.
- You never know what could happen.
you never know
2/jˈu nˈɛvɚ nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
Anything can happen; uncertain future
Used to say something might happen, even if it seems unlikely.
Examples
- Take your camera—you never know what you might see.
- We might get lucky—you never know.