adj · adv · det · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɛvə/
General-American:/ˈɛvɚ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛvə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:EH1 V ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Occurring at any time, occurring even but once during a timespan.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: epidemiology, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Always, frequently, forever.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, formal, not-comparable
Examples
It was ever thus.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
Continuously, constantly, all the time (for the complete duration).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
People struggled to cope with the ever-increasing cost of living.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adv
Meaning 4
At any time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
We've only ever talked on the phone.
I scarcely ever see you anymore!.
If that ever happens, we’re in deep trouble.
This is one of the best movies ever.
He's back and better than ever.
I’ll stop your ever doing that again.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adv
Meaning 5
As intensifier following an interrogative word.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, not-comparable
Examples
Was I ever glad to see you!
Did I ever!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adv
Meaning 6
Indicates experiential aspect, once; has or have (done something) before.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Manglish, Singlish, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
det
Meaning 7
Shortening of every
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adverb
Meaning 8
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I will always be there to help you
always arrives on time
there is always some pollution in the air
ever hoping to strike it rich
ever busy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: always, e'er
Antonyms: never
9
adverb
Meaning 9
at any time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
did you ever smoke?
the best con man of all time
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: of all time
Antonyms: none provided
10
adverb
Meaning 10
(intensifier for adjectives) very
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
she was ever so friendly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ever so
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English ever, from Old English ǣfre, originally a phrase whose first element undoubtedly consists of Old English ā (“ever, always”) + in (“in”) + an element possibly from feorh (“life, existence”) (dative fēore). Compare Old English ā tō fēore (“ever in life”), Old English feorhlīf (“life”). Sense 5 of the adverb was likely formed by association with never, which also carries the meaning of did not in colloquial Singaporean and Malaysian English. Also, compare Chinese 有 ... 過 /有 ... 过 (yǒu ... guò / jau5 ... gwo3, “has [...] before”).
Across languages
Translations
117 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
միշտ
(mišt)
— always
Bulgarian:
ви́наги
(vínagi)
— always
Chinese Mandarin:
總是 /总是
(zǒngshì)
— always
Danish:
altid
— always
Danish:
immer
— always
Danish:
idelig
— always
Dutch:
ooit
— always
Dutch:
altijd
— always
Dutch:
steeds
— always
Esperanto:
ĉiam
— always
Estonian:
kunagi
— always
Finnish:
aina
— always
French:
toujours
— always
West-Frisian:
jimmer
— always
German:
immer
— always
German:
stets
— always
German:
ewig
— always
Gothic:
𐌰𐌹𐍅
(aiw)
— always
Greek:
πάντα
(pánta)
— always
Greek:
πάντοτε
(pántote)
— always
Hungarian:
mindig
— always
Hungarian:
folyton
— always
Japanese:
ずっと
(zutto)
— always
Japanese:
いつも
(itsumo)
— always
Korean:
이제까지
(ijekkaji)
— always
Korean:
늘
(neul)
— always
Korean:
항상
(hangsang)
— always
Korean:
언제나
(eonjena)
— always
Latin:
semper
— always
Norwegian:
støtt
— always
Norwegian:
stadig
— always
Persian:
همیشه
(hamiše)
— always
Polish:
zawsze
— always
Portuguese:
sempre
— always
Russian:
всегда́
(vsegdá)
— always
Serbo-Croatian:
uvijek
— always
Spanish:
siempre
— always
Spanish:
jamás
— always
Swedish:
alltid
— always
Turkish:
hep
— always
Turkish:
her zaman
— always
Turkish:
ebediyen
— always
Ukrainian:
завжди́
(zavždý)
— always
Vietnamese:
bao giờ
— always
Welsh:
bob amser
— always
Welsh:
yn wastad
— always
Esperanto:
ĉiam
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Finnish:
jatkuvasti
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Hungarian:
egyre
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Hungarian:
folyton
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Hungarian:
egyre csak
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Hungarian:
örökké
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Polish:
coraz
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Polish:
stale
— continuously, constantly, all the time
Arabic:
يَوْمًا
(yawman)
— at any time
Armenian:
երբեւիցե
(erbewicʻe)
— at any time
Basque:
inoiz
— at any time
Basque:
noizbait
— at any time
Bulgarian:
когато и да е
(kogato i da e)
— at any time
Catalan:
mai
— at any time
Chinese Mandarin:
曾經 /曾经
(céngjīng)
— at any time
Czech:
někdy
— at any time
Dutch:
ooit
— at any time
Esperanto:
iam
— at any time
Esperanto:
iam ajn
— at any time
Finnish:
ikinä
— at any time
Finnish:
koskaan
— at any time
French:
jamais
— at any time
West-Frisian:
ea
— at any time
Georgian:
ოდესმე
(odesme)
— at any time
German:
jemals
— at any time
German:
je
— at any time
Gothic:
𐍈𐌰𐌽𐌷𐌿𐌽
(ƕanhun)
— at any time
Greek:
ποτέ
(poté)
— at any time
Ancient Greek:
πώποτε
(pṓpote)
— at any time
Hebrew:
אֵי פַּעַם
(e pá'am)
— at any time
Hungarian:
valaha
— at any time
Hungarian:
valamikor
— at any time
Hungarian:
akármikor
— at any time
Interlingua:
jammais
— at any time
Interlingua:
unquam
— at any time
Italian:
mai
— at any time
Japanese:
いつか
(itsuka)
— at any time
Korean:
언제든
(eonjedeun)
— at any time
Latin:
umquam
— at any time
Latin:
unquam
— at any time
Latin:
numcubi
— at any time
Latvian:
jebkad
— at any time
Norwegian Bokmål:
noensinne
— at any time
Norwegian Nynorsk:
nokosinne
— at any time
Plautdietsch:
jeemols
— at any time
Polish:
kiedykolwiek
— at any time
Portuguese:
alguma vez
— at any time
Portuguese:
de sempre
— at any time
Russian:
когда́-либо
(kogdá-libo)
— at any time
Scottish Gaelic:
riamh
— at any time
Serbo-Croatian:
ikad
— at any time
Slovene:
kdàj
— at any time
Spanish:
alguna vez
— at any time
Spanish:
jamás
— at any time
Swedish:
någonsin
— at any time
Turkish:
hiç
— at any time
Ukrainian:
коли́-не́будь
(kolý-nébudʹ)
— at any time
Vietnamese:
bao giờ
— at any time
Welsh:
byth
— at any time
Welsh:
erioed
— at any time
Esperanto:
iel ajn
— in any way
Finnish:
ikinä
— in any way
Finnish:
koskaan
— in any way
Hungarian:
valahogyan
— in any way
Hungarian:
akárhogyan
— in any way
Finnish:
kyllä
— intensifier following an interrogative word
Hungarian:
nagyon
— intensifier following an interrogative word
Hungarian:
igazán
— intensifier following an interrogative word
Hungarian:
igen
— intensifier following an interrogative word
Hungarian:
bizony
— intensifier following an interrogative word
Hungarian:
ám
— intensifier following an interrogative word