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ever

 - 4 dictionary results

ev⋅er

  [ev-er]
Use ever in a Sentence
–adverb
1. at all times; always: an ever-present danger; He is ever ready to find fault.
2. continuously: ever since then.
3. at any time: Have you ever seen anything like it?
4. in any possible case; by any chance; at all (often used to intensify or emphasize a phrase or an emotional reaction as surprise or impatience): How did you ever manage to do it? If the band ever plays again, we will dance.
–adjective
5. South Midland and Southern U.S. every: She rises early ever morning.
—Idioms
6. ever and again, now and then; from time to time. Also, Literary, ever and anon.
7. ever so, to a great extent or degree; exceedingly: They were ever so kind to me.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; OE ǣfre

Synonyms:
1. eternally, perpetually, constantly. See always.

Antonyms:
1. never.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ev·er   (ěv'ər)   
adv.  

  1. At all times; always: ever hoping to strike it rich.

    1. At any time: Have you ever been to Europe?

    2. In any way; at all: How did they ever manage? See Usage Note at rarely.

  3. To a great extent or degree. Used for emphasis often with so: He was ever so sorry. Was she ever mad!


[Middle English, from Old English ǣfre; see aiw- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ever 
O.E. æfre, no cognates in any other Gmc. language; perhaps a contraction of a in feore, lit. "ever in life" (the expression a to fore is common in O.E. writings). First element is almost certainly related to O.E. a "always, ever," from P.Gmc. *aiwo, from PIE *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity." Evermore is O.E. æfre ma; in ref. to trees and shrubs, evergreen is from 1644, figurative sense from 1796; Everglades is from 1827, U.S., perhaps from sense of "interminable."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

ever

In addition to the idiom beginning with ever, also see hardly ever; live happily ever after.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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