Never

Old English nÃ¦fre

Full definition of never

1634, William Shakespeare, John Fletcher, , Act 2, Scene 4,Why should I love this Gentleman? Tis odds
He never will affect me;
1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 1, In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, …, and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.
1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, , Chapter XXI: A New Departure in Flavorings,"I never thought you were so fond of Mr. Phillips that you'd require two handkerchiefs to dry your tears just because he was going away," said Marilla.
1919, B. G. Jefferis, J. L. Nichols, ,Never speak of the symptoms of your patient in his presence, unless questioned by the doctor, whose orders you are always to obey implicitly.

I finally finished, and I never want to do that again.
I repeated the test a hundred times, and never saw a positive result.
I will never tell.
Not at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.

1601 Novenber 30, Elizabeth I of England, ,There is no jewel, be it of never so rich a price, which I set before this jewel: I mean your love.
1813, Jane Austen, , Chapter 4,"He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!--so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"
1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, , Chapter XIII: The Delights of Anticipation,I never saw such an infatuated man.

(colloquial) Negative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense; also used absolutely).
The police say I stole the car, but I never did it.
You said you were going to mow the lawn today. â€“ I never!''