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never again

never again

65 2.1
It does not happen at any time in the future
  • idiom
: nunca más
  • I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office.
  • never again leave

So I tried it and I am saying never again, never again.

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Examples

  • I tried to make amends to Amy, but our relationship was never again the same.

    Academic text (2000)
  • I promise, if you let me go, I will never again give you a reason to arrest me.

  • Not all of them, but certainly a large number of them would never again look at American Society the same.

  • I said to myself that never again would I have anything to do with him.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Let me tell you, you will never again be stranded without fun.

  • Never again will blood be shed in these woods.

  • Now after today's lesson, you will never again need to fear for your safety.

  • And a just peace where the sovereignty of this great nation is never again imperiled.

  • Let's vow never again to shy away from our responsibilities.

  • After that terrible experience, I promised myself I would never again try something so risky.

Synonyms

never
vsnever again
∞ 1.0

At no time in the past or future, not ever

is limited to refusing things only after now not past denials
nevermore
vsnever again
  • Archaic
2 9.9

Not at any time in the future, used in old or poetic language

is the neutral modern phrase for refusing future occurrence after now

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

On every occasion without exception

∞ 1.0

For all time without end

How Often

always
∞ 1.0
often
∞ 1.0
sometimes
∞ 1.0
occasionally
438 2.0
rarely
539 1.0
never again
65 2.1

Surface Forms

never again positive

Morphology

never + again

The meaning is directly compositional: 'never' (not ever) combined with 'again' (once more) yields 'not ever in the future' or 'not do X again.' This is a standard negation + repetition pattern found in many languages and follows normal English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Never again comes from people making a strong promise after a bad event; they used it to say they would not repeat what happened. It joins never ('not ever') and again ('one more time') to make a firm vow, so it means 'at no time in the future'.