ever

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

From Middle English evere, 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”).

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

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

ever (not comparable)

1. Always, frequently, forever.

   It was ever thus.

   • Lord Halifax

     […] 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, Robert William Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     “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.

2. At any time.

   If that ever happens, we’re in deep trouble

   He's back and better than ever.

   • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 3, in The Celebrity:

     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.

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3. In any way.

   How can I ever get there in time?

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

   Was I ever glad to see you!

   Did I ever!

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

• (always): See Thesaurus:never

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.

• Vere, veer

From Old Dutch *evur, from Proto-Germanic *eburaz, from Indo-European *h₁eperos. Cognate with Latin aper, Proto-Slavic *veprь (“wild boar”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː.vər/

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• Hyphenation: ever
• Rhymes: -eːvər

ever m (plural evers, diminutive evertje n)

1. wild boar, Sus scrofa

• everzwijn, wild zwijn

• everjong
• everzwijn

• erve, veer, vere, vree

From English ever.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛvɐ/

ever

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

   Das war das geilste Konzert ever.

   That was the greatest concert ever.

• aller Zeiten (standard German)