+ Search by Radical
Search for
PETS rank
Listen
Print Font Size
Collins English-Chinese Dictionary
Comprehensive English-Chinese Dictionary
Collins English-English Dictionary
- never ['nεvə]
-
-
1.
sentence substitute
at no time; not ever
-
2.
interj
well I never! surely not!
-
3.
sentence substitute
certainly not; by no means; in no case
-
4.
interj
[Etymology]
Old English n
æ fre, from ne not + æfreever -
5.
interj
[Usage]
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
-
1.
sentence substitute
at no time; not ever
Examples
- These few grains of sand do not constitute a heap, and the addition of a single grain never makes what is not yet a heap into a heap: so no matter how many single grains one adds it never becomes a heap. → sorites
- You never saw the beat of it.
- 你从来没看过更好的人(或事)。 → beat
- It never rains but it pours.
- 【谚语】不雨则已，一雨倾盆(指事情不发生则已，一旦发生便接踵而来)。 → but
- I never think of summer but I think of childhood.
- 每当我想起壮年，我就想起了童年。 → but
- We've never done drugs.
- 我们从不吸毒。 → do
- an experience he will never forget
- 他永远不会忘记的一段经历 → experience
- a plan that never materialized
- 从未实现的计划 → materialize
- Now we'll never know what happened.
- 我们怎么也不会知道将会发生什么。 → now
- to make it a rule never to hurry
- 定下一条决不匆忙行事的规矩 → rule
- I should (或 would) have gone, but you never asked me.
- 我本来会去的，但你从来没有向我提出这个要求。 → should
Would you like to know more about this word? Simply click the button on the right to ask real people.
You can also check your questions and answers at ‘ My nciku > Posts ’.
Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
Thesaurus
Revised Vocab Lists
This word has been edited
2 time(s) by users.
Recently Reviewed Words
Content partners 
