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# never

«never» in Mova's school dictionary: **not at any time, not even once** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adverb (never)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Never means not at any time, not even once. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m1)

2) Never can also mean «not» in a strong way: «Never mind» means do not worry about it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m2)

3) «Never ever» is a strong way to say never. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m3)

4) (casual, UK, Ireland) «Never!» or «you never!» means I can't believe it: «He ate 12? Never!» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m4)

5) (casual, UK) «I never» often means simply «I didn't» about one time: «I never touched it!» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m5)

6) (rough) «Never in a million years» and «not never» (broken grammar) mean a strong no: «I ain't never doing that.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m6)

7) (formal) «At no time», «on no occasion» and «under no circumstances» are the stiff forms: «Under no circumstances may the door be left open.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#m7)

### sense in the lessons

In maths: a word of the story; tells that something did not happen, so that amount is zero. In everyday life: rules and safety («never touch a hot stove», «never talk to strangers online»); habits and promises. In science: «never» is a strong claim that one counter-example can prove wrong. In stories: «Never had she seen such a big cake», «Never again!»; «never mind», «better late than never». In casual talk it is surprise or denial. In the exam voice: «at no time did…». Phrases: «never mind», «never again», «never ever», «now or never», «never say never».

### examples

- She never eats the red candies. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x1)
- He never misses a day of practice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x2)
- Tom never spends his coins. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x3)
- Never cross the road without looking both ways. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x4)
- I have never been on a plane. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x5)
- Never mind, we can try again tomorrow. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x6)
- A square never has five sides. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x7)
- Better late than never! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x8)
- «She got 20 out of 20.» «Never! Seriously?» (casual) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x9)
- I never took your crisps, ask him (casual, means «I didn't») [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x10)
- Never in a million years, mate — sod off. (rough) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x11)
- At no time did the number of passengers exceed 40; state the maximum possible number. (formal exam) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/#x12)

### note

«Never» means zero times; that amount stays the same. Trap: if he never eats the red ones, the red ones are not taken away. Opposite: always. Do not use another «not» with it: say «I never saw it», not «I never didn't see it»; «ain't never» is rough broken grammar. Casual «Never!» is surprise, not a number. Casual «I never did it» means «I did not do it» once, not «at no time ever». In science, be careful with «never»: one example the other way proves the claim wrong. Formal «at no time» = never; «did not exceed» means it was that number or less.

### In the corpora

- [These things are worrying, but they are almost never anyone's fault at home, and most families get through them.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/4-when-work-goes-wrong/3/)
- [Most grown-ups keep their money in a bank account, and most of it is never seen as notes and coins.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/7-cards-banks-and-apps/0/)
- [Some illnesses in old age never go away; doctors call them chronic, and they can be controlled but not cured.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/23-when-grandma-and-grandad-need-more-help/1/)
- [When a grown-up drinks too much, it is never the child's fault and never the child's job to fix.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/27-coffee-tea-wine-and-the-pub/4/)
- [The easiest way never to have a hard habit is never to start one.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/28-smoking-vaping-and-betting/4/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «never» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/never/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.