ever

Examples

• All

• And I think now more than ever we need everything.

• We've been in cars and offices and airplanes ever since.

  The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

• What do you want them to never, ever change?

• You look as beautiful as ever, My Dear.

  Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012)

• May the odds be ever in your favor.

• Well, there are other models, but few have ever risen so fast.

• I think it's more difficult for Alfie than it's ever been for me.

• And this is one of the best performances I've ever seen on piano.

• In the 21st century, people must deal with an ever-increasing amount of raw information.

  Academic text (2011)

• "The best day job I ever had was waiting tables in San Francisco," Wilhelm says.

  Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

A

always

vsever

∞ 1.0

On every occasion without exception

is the older alternative that shares the same general meaning

A

all the time

vsever

∞ 1.0

Happens without stopping

covers that continuity but also single occasions as well

C

constantly

vsever

740 1.0

Very often or all the time without stopping

includes that frequent sense but also single individual occasions

C

continually

vsever

139 2.9

Happening again and again over time, often with short breaks

is broader, covering both repeated and uninterrupted occurrences

I

invariably

vsever

57 4.2

Always in every situation without change

conveys the same idea but in more common everyday speech

E

every single time

vsever

48 1.0

Something happens on every occasion without exception

is more general, covering both each occasion and continuous time

A

at every turn

vsever

38 3.5

Again and again in every situation

is the more general timeless sense across every possible occasion

E

every second of the day

vsever

• Informal

1 2.5

All the time without stopping

means the same permanence but without the daily phrasing

E

everywhen

vsever

• Archaic

1 9.9

At all times and in every age

is similar but focuses on every single occasion rather than periods

E

e'er

vsever

• Archaic

1 9.9

At any time

is the ordinary contemporary form used in everyday language

W

whensoever

vsever

• Archaic

9.3

At any time that something happens

is broader, asserting permanence rather than conditional timing

A

alway

vsever

• Archaic

9.9

At all times

is the standard modern expression with the same core sense

Antonyms

N

never

∞ 1.0

At no time in the past or future, not ever

Idioms

E

ever so

80 4.2

To make an adjective or adverb much stronger

M

may the odds be ever in your favor

• Informal

9.4

To wish someone good luck when the result depends on chance

W

what the fuck ever

• Offensive

9.9

To say you do not care about something in a rude way

Compounds

E

ever-blooming

4.1

Producing flowers for many months

Surface Forms

Etymology