From Middle English nevere, navere, nævere, from Old English nǣfre (“never”), equivalent to ne + ever. never (not comparable) I finally finished, and I never do wanna do it again. We were at the same college, but happened never to meet. I'll never not like you.
The meaning of NEVER is not ever : at no time. How to use never in a sentence.
Never means at no time in the past or at no time in the future. I have never lost the weight I put on in my teens. Never had he been so free of worry. That was a mistake. We'll never do it again.
Definition of never adverb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
NEVER definition: 1. not at any time or not on any occasion: 2. used as a way of saying "never" with extra emphasis…. Learn more.
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition. adverb Not ever; on no occasion; at no time. adverb Not at all; in no way; absolutely not. idiom (never mind) Don't bother. idiom (never mind) Not to mention; and certainly not. from The Century Dictionary.
There are 20 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word never, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
never, adv. & int. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
In informal speech and writing, never can be used instead of not with the simple past tenses of certain verbs for emphasis (I never said that; I never realized how clever he was), but this usage should be avoided in serious writing