ever

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ever

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• euer (obsolete)
• e'er, ev'r (poetic)
• eva, evah, eva', evuh, iver, ivver (dialectal)

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”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛvə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛvɚ/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (UK):

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• Rhymes: -ɛvə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: ev‧er

ever (not comparable)

1. (formal or archaic) Always, frequently, forever.

   It was ever thus.

   • 1592, George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax, An Advertisement concerning Seminary Priests:

     […] the Lord Treasurer, who ever secretly feigned himself to be a Moderator and Mollifier of the Catholicks Afflictions […]

   • 1860, Florence Nightingale, Suggestions for Thought to the searchers after truth among the artizans of England., page 302:

     Let us ever remember that our conception, our comprehension, our feeling of God must be ever imperfect, yet should be ever advancing. We must not make God: we must find Him and feel Him more and more.

   • 1907 August, Robert W Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.

   • 1993, Nancy K. Florida, Javanese Literature in Surakarta Manuscripts: Introduction and manuscripts of the Karaton Surakarta, SEAP Publications, →ISBN, page 9:

     The library staffs of the Karaton Surakarta's Sasana Pustaka, the Mangku- nagaran's Reksa Pustaka, and the Museum Radyapustaka were ever helpful and generous with their time.

   • 2007, Roman Frydman, Michael D. Goldberg, Imperfect Knowledge Economics: Exchange Rates and Risk, Princeton University Press, →ISBN:

     As with the rest of macroeconomics, the issues have to be rethought in a way that makes the ever-imperfect knowledge of market participants and policymakers an integral part of the analysis.

   • 2021 September 8, Phil McNulty, “Poland 1-1 England”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Kane picked up the ball 25 yards out with 18 minutes left before proving he is ever the opportunist by flashing a dipping swerving drive beyond the deceived Szczesny.

2. Continuously, constantly, all the time (for the complete duration).

   People struggled to cope with the ever-increasing cost of living.

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 4, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 29:

     For what seemed ages piled on ages, I lay there, frozen with the most awful fears, not daring to drag away my hand; yet ever thinking that if I could but stir it one single inch, the horrid spell would be broken.

3. At any time.

   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.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter III, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so.

   • 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America‎, archived from the original on 7 February 2019:

     He said the study provides clear evidence that AI technologies are growing at a faster rate than ever and will continue to do so.

     Audio (US):

     (file)

4. (informal) As intensifier following an interrogative word.

   Was I ever glad to see you!

   Did I ever!

5. (Manglish, Singlish) Indicates experiential aspect, once; has or have (done something) before.
   • 2005 October 1, hellangel, “Tamiya Asiacup Qualifying 2005 (singapore)”, in rctech.net‎:

     but i ever ran 5mins using the 1400 cells and the type RR 23T motor...

   • 2021 July 13, Lchlch, “What are your hobbies in sg?”, in HardwareZone Forums‎:

     i ever walked from the south to MacRitchie Reservoir.....

• (always): See Thesaurus:forever
• (at any time):
• (in any way):
• (intensifier): See Thesaurus:the dickens

• (antonym(s) of “always”): See Thesaurus:never

• → German: ever

ever (not comparable)

1. (epidemiology) Occurring at any time, occurring even but once during a timespan.
   • 1965, Reuben Hill, The family and population control: a Puerto Rican experiment in social change:

     This family empathy measure is highly related to ever use of birth control but not to any measure of continuous use.

ever

1. (dialectal and informal) Shortening of every
   • 1989, Connie Jordan Green, The War at Home, page 16:

     "Ever place you look there's houses and more houses."

   • 2011, Lee Smith, Oral History, →ISBN:

     Queen Anne's lace ever place you look.

   • 2011, Michael Blair, Nub and Bow in History, page 27:

     A sign at the entrance to the road going up Snake Hollow reads, “Snake Hollow is a wonderful place to be, Ever place you look there is a beautiful green tree. Snake Hollow makes you feel alive and free.” Lets keep it that way, for you and me.

• “ever”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• Mian Lian Ho, Irene F. H. Wong (2003 January) “The use of ever in Singapore English”, in World Englishes, volume 20, number 1, →DOI, pages 79–87

• Vere, veer

From Middle Dutch ēver, from Old Dutch *evur, from Proto-West Germanic *ebur. Cognate with Latin aper, Proto-Slavic *veprь (“wild boar”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː.vər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ever
• Rhymes: -eːvər

ever m (plural evers, diminutive evertje n)

1. wild boar, Sus scrofa

   Synonyms: everzwijn, wild zwijn

• erve, veer, vere, vree

Borrowed from English ever.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛvɐ/

ever

1. (colloquial, originally youth slang) ever (with superlative)

   Synonym: aller Zeiten

   Das war das geilste Konzert ever.

   That was the greatest concert ever.

   • 2023 December 28, Florian Bayer, “Größte Pleite ever in Österreich”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz‎, →ISSN:

     Signa-Immobiliengesellschaften insolvent: Größte Pleite ever in Österreich

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• “ever” in Duden online

• evre, evir, afre, er, are

From Old English ǣfre.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːvər/, /ˈɛvər/

ever

1. ever

• English: ever
• Scots: evire, evir
• Yola: eyver, e'er, ere

• “ē̆ver, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

ever

1. present of eve

• ever, reve, veer

• evor (non-standard since 2012)

ever f

1. indefinite plural of eve
2. indefinite plural of eva (non-standard since 2012)

• erve, ever, reve, vere