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Glite Dictionary
never-was

never-was

3 9.3
A person or thing that never succeeds and never becomes known
  • noun
  • /ˈnɛvərˌwɑz/
  • Offensive
translation icon : don nadie
  • The athlete became a never-was after injuries prevented him from competing in the Olympics.

So I I'd much rather be a has been than never was.

Examples

  • The career that never was.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • There came a time that I finally let go of that hope for something that never was and couldn't be.

    Blog text (6)

  • He never was a great athlete.

    Beyond the Mat (1999)

  • Fortunately, this advice was misguided; however, not before hundreds of people invested time and money in preparing for the storm that never was.

    Blog text (5)

  • The city is still pretty densely populated by Czechs, which may seem far from obvious to its numerous foreign visitors searching for the magical Prague that never was.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Despite his talent, John felt like a never-was in the competitive art world.

  • Many people labeled her a never-was after her failed attempts to launch a career in music.

Synonyms

no-hit wonder
vsnever-was
  • Literature
8.8

A person, group, or work that never becomes popular and has no hit

applies broadly to any person or thing lacking success or recognition

Antonyms

success
∞ 1.0

Getting what you want after working hard

accomplished
3.9

Finished and cannot be changed

How Successful

renowned
69 4.1
successful
∞ 1.6
never-was
  • Offensive
3 9.3
unsuccessful
76 2.9

Surface Forms

never-was singular
never-wases plural

Morphology

never-was = never + was (semi-transparent) = never + was

The components 'never' + 'was' are obvious, but the idiomatic noun meaning 'a person who never achieved success' is metaphorical and not fully predictable for all learners.

Etymology

Never-was is a plain combination of never and was, so it literally says 'never existed as' or 'never became'. A never-was is therefore a person or thing that never achieved success or recognition.