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adv

ever

EH-vuh
adv
1
At any time.
"Have you ever been to Japan?"
"Nothing like this had ever happened before."
2
Always; continuously.
"They lived happily ever after."
3
Used after a question word for emphasis.
"Why ever would you say that?"

How to Use Ever

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAt any point in time, or always.

Common pairings
ever since best ever hardly ever
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Have you _____ been to Japan?

Etymology

From Old English ǣfre, probably built from ā ("always") plus an element related to feorh ("life").

Antonyms

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial