6 results for: Forever

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

for·ev·er

Audio Help [fawr-ev-er, fer-] Pronunciation Key

–adverb

1.	without ever ending; eternally: to last forever.

2.	continually; incessantly; always: He's forever complaining.

–noun

3.	an endless or seemingly endless period of time: It took them forever to make up their minds.

—Idiom

4.	forever and a day, eternally; always: They pledged to love each other forever and a day.

[Origin: 1660–70; orig. phrase for ever

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Forever

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

for·ev·er Audio Help (fôr-ěv'ər, fər-) Pronunciation Key
adv.

For everlasting time; eternally: No one can live forever.
At all times; incessantly: was forever complaining about the job.

n. A seemingly very long time: It has taken forever to resolve these problems.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

forever
adverb
1.	for a limitless time; "no one can live forever"; "brightly beams our Father's mercy from his lighthouse evermore"- P.P.Bliss [syn: everlastingly]
2.	for a very long or seemingly endless time; "she took forever to write the paper"; "we had to wait forever and a day"
3.	without interruption; "the world is constantly changing" [syn: constantly]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Forever

Ev"er\adv. [OE. ever, [ae]fre, AS. [ae]fre; perh. akin to AS. [=a] always. Cf. Aye, Age,Evry, Never.] [Sometimes contracted into e'er.]

1. At any time; at any period or point of time.

No man ever yet hated his own flesh. --Eph. v. 29.

2. At all times; through all time; always; forever.

He shall ever love, and always be The subject of by scorn and cruelty. --Dryder.

3. Without cessation; continually.

Note: Ever is sometimes used as an intensive or a word of enforcement. "His the old man e'er a son?" --Shak.

To produce as much as ever they can. --M. Arnold.

Ever and anon, now and then; often. See under Anon.

Ever is one, continually; constantly. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Ever so, in whatever degree; to whatever extent; -- used to intensify indefinitely the meaning of the associated adjective or adverb. See Never so, under Never. "Let him be ever so rich." --Emerson.

And all the question (wrangle e'er so long), Is only this, if God has placed him wrong. --Pope.

You spend ever so much money in entertaining your equals and betters. --Thackeray.

For ever, eternally. See Forever.

For ever and a day, emphatically forever. --Shak.

She [Fortune] soon wheeled away, with scornful laughter, out of sight for ever and day. --Prof. Wilson.

Or ever (for or ere), before. See Or, ere. [Archaic]

Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio! --Shak.

Note: Ever is sometimes joined to its adjective by a hyphen, but in most cases the hyphen is needless; as, ever memorable, ever watchful, ever burning.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Forever

For\, prep. [AS. for, fore; akin to OS. for, fora, furi, D. voor, OHG. fora, G. vor, OHG. furi, G. f["u]r, Icel. fyrir, Sw. f["o]r, Dan. for, adv. f["o]r, Goth. fa['u]r, fa['u]ra, L. pro, Gr. ?, Skr. pra-. [root] 202. Cf. Fore, First, Foremost, Forth, Pro-.] In the most general sense, indicating that in consideration of, in view of, or with reference to, which anything is done or takes place.

1. Indicating the antecedent cause or occasion of an action; the motive or inducement accompanying and prompting to an act or state; the reason of anything; that on account of which a thing is or is done.

With fiery eyes sparkling for very wrath. --Shak.

How to choose dogs for scent or speed. --Waller.

Now, for so many glorious actions done, For peace at home, and for the public wealth, I mean to crown a bowl for C[ae]sar's health. --Dryden.

That which we, for our unworthiness, are afraid to crave, our prayer is, that God, for the worthiness of his Son, would, notwithstanding, vouchsafe to grant. --Hooker.

2. Indicating the remoter and indirect object of an act; the end or final cause with reference to which anything is, acts, serves, or is done.

The oak for nothing ill, The osier good for twigs, the poplar for the mill. --Spenser.

It was young counsel for the persons, and violent counsel for the matters. --Bacon.

Shall I think the worls was made for one, And men are born for kings, as beasts for men, Not for protection, but to be devoured? --Dryden.

For he writes not for money, nor for praise. --Denham.

3. Indicating that in favor of which, or in promoting which, anything is, or is done; hence, in behalf of; in favor of; on the side of; -- opposed to against.

We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. --2 Cor. xiii. 8.

It is for the general good of human society, and consequently of particular persons, to be true and just; and it is for men's health to be temperate. --Tillotson.

Aristotle is for poetical justice. --Dennis.

4. Indicating that toward which the action of anything is directed, or the point toward which motion is made; ?ntending to go to.

We sailed from Peru for China and Japan. --Bacon.

5. Indicating that on place of or instead of which anything acts or serves, or that to which a substitute, an equivalent, a compensation, or the like, is offered or made; instead of, or place of.

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. --Ex. xxi. 23, 24.

6. Indicating that in the character of or as being which anything is regarded or treated; to be, or as being.

We take a falling meteor for a star. --Cowley.

If a man can be fully assured of anything for a truth, without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace for tru?? --Locke.

Most of our ingenious young men take up some cried-up English poet for their model. --Dryden.

But let her go for an ungrateful woman. --Philips.

7. Indicating that instead of which something else controls in the performing of an action, or that in spite of which anything is done, occurs, or is; hence, equivalent to notwithstanding, in spite of; -- generally followed by all, aught, anything, etc.

The writer will do what she please for all me. --Spectator.

God's desertion shall, for aught he knows, the next minute supervene. --Dr. H. More.

For anything that legally appears to the contrary, it may be a contrivance to fright us. --Swift.

8. Indicating the space or time through which an action or state extends; hence, during; in or through the space or time of.

For many miles about There 's scarce a bush. --Shak.

Since, hired for life, thy servile muse sing. --prior.

To guide the sun's bright chariot for a day. --Garth.

9. Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done. [Obs.]

We 'll have a bib, for spoiling of thy doublet. --Beau. & Fl.

For, or As for, so far as concerns; as regards; with reference to; -- used parenthetically or independently. See under As.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. --Josh. xxiv. 15.

For me, my stormy voyage at an end, I to the port of death securely tend. --Dryden.

For all that, notwithstanding; in spite of.

For all the world, wholly; exactly. "Whose posy was, for all the world, like cutlers' poetry." --Shak.

For as much as, or Forasmuch as, in consideration that; seeing that; since.

For by. See Forby, adv.

For ever, eternally; at all times. See Forever.

For me, or For all me, as far as regards me.

For my life, or For the life of me, if my life depended on it. [Colloq.] --T. Hook.

For that, For the reason that, because; since. [Obs.] "For that I love your daughter." --Shak.

For thy, or Forthy [AS. for??.], for this; on this account. [Obs.] "Thomalin, have no care for thy." --Spenser.

For to, as sign of infinitive, in order to; to the end of. [Obs., except as sometimes heard in illiterate speech.] -- "What went ye out for to see?" --Luke vii. 25. See To, prep., 4.

O for, would that I had; may there be granted; -- elliptically expressing desire or prayer. "O for a muse of fire." --Shak.

Were it not for, or If it were not for, leaving out of account; but for the presence or action of. "Moral consideration can no way move the sensible appetite, were it not for the will." --Sir M. Hale.

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