ever
gb/ˈɛvɚ/ us/ˈɛvɚ/
A2
Anglais
~ 400
Sens
0 sens
adverb
A2
property
1
at any time
At any time before now, now, or in the future.
Schéma d’usage :
Have you ever [past participle]...?
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'ever' with 'never'. 'Ever' is used for questions and negatives to mean 'at any time', while 'never' means 'at no time'.
Synonymes
at any time (More formal phrase with same literal meaning.)
Antonymes
never (Means 'at no time', the direct opposite.)
Collocations
hardly ever
|if ever
|never ever
|first ever
|only ever
Thèmes
time
|conversation
|questions
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Have you ever been to Japan?
- No one has ever done that before.
- If you ever need help, just call me.
- It’s the best movie I’ve ever seen.
- Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?
Exemples pédagogiques
- Have you ever eaten sushi?
- I have never ever seen snow.
- If you ever come to my city, I will show you around.
- She is the best teacher I have ever had.
- Have you ever played football?
adverb
B2
property
2
always; continuously
All the time, without stopping.
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners overuse 'ever' instead of 'always' in everyday speech; 'ever' in this sense is more formal or literary.
Synonymes
always (Most common synonym; 'ever' can sound more formal or literary in this sense.)
Antonymes
never (Means 'at no time', opposite of 'always'.)
Collocations
ever present
|ever changing
|ever increasing
Thèmes
time
|frequency
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She is ever hopeful about the future.
- The company is ever growing in popularity.
- He remained ever faithful to his friends.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She is ever happy to help.
- The city is ever busy.
- He is ever ready to learn.
adverb
A2
property
3
used for emphasis
Used to make a statement stronger or more extreme.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may use 'ever' for emphasis in contexts where it sounds unnatural, such as with ungradable adjectives.
Synonymes
absolutely (Can be used for strong emphasis, but 'ever' ties emphasis to all time.)
Collocations
best ever
|worst ever
|biggest ever
Thèmes
emphasis
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- It was the best meal I’ve ever had.
- This is the worst day ever!
- She’s the most talented person ever.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This is my best day ever.
- It was the worst movie ever.
- He is the fastest runner ever.
adverb
B2
property
4
increasingly; continually more
Used after words like 'better' or 'more' to show that something changes more and more over time.
Synonymes
increasingly ('Increasingly' focuses on gradual growth; 'ever' adds a sense of ongoing change over time.)
Collocations
ever increasing demand
|ever greater challenges
Thèmes
comparison
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She became ever more confident as the speech went on.
- The problem is getting ever worse.
- They face an ever greater challenge each year.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The work became ever harder.
- He grew ever more tired.
- The road got ever steeper.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
ever
API
GB/ˈɛvɚ/
US/ˈɛvɚ/
Syllabes et accentuation
ever (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (ever)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: ever
- Plural: evers
Famille de mots
Forms
evers
noun
Core family
forever
adverb A2
Negative and opposite forms
never
adverb A1
Advanced or less common
everlasting
adjective B2
Expressions
first ever
1/fˈɚst ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
first time something happens
The first time something has happened or been done.
Exemples
- This is the first ever meeting between the two leaders.
- She won her first ever gold medal last year.
for ever and ever
1/fɚ ˈɛvɚ ˈænd ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
literary
forever without end
For all time, with no end.
Exemples
- They promised to love each other for ever and ever.
- The memory will stay with me for ever and ever.
if ever
1/ˈɪf ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
on rare occasions, if at all
Used to say something happens very rarely, or maybe never.
Exemples
- He seldom, if ever, speaks in public.
- If ever there was a reason to celebrate, this is it.
never ever
1/nˈɛvɚ ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
absolutely never
Not at any time, for any reason.
Exemples
- I will never ever lie to you.
- We are never ever going back there.
hardly ever
1/hˈɑɹdli ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
Almost never
Used to say that something happens very rarely.
Exemples
- I hardly ever go to the cinema these days.
- She hardly ever eats chocolate.
- She hardly ever eats meat.