Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - never

~ adv 1 »NOT AT ANY TIME« not once or not at any time  (We've never been to Paris. | I'll never forget what my mother said. | never...again)  (Never let me hear you use that word again! | never in all my life spoken (=used to emphasize how bad something was))  (Never in all my life have I felt so humiliated. | never ever spoken (=used to emphasize `never'))  (I'll never ever forgive him for leaving me | never once spoken (=used when you are annoyed because someone never did something although they had many opportunities))  (Never once did she offer to look after the children. | never for one moment especially spoken (=used to emphasize that you never thought, imagined, or doubted something))  (Never for one moment did I think that we were going to encounter so many problems. | sb/sth has never been known to do something (=used to mean that something is strange because it has never happened before))  (Max had never been known to leave home without telling someone.) 2 never mind spoken used to tell someone that something is not important or serious, so that there is no need to worry or feel sorry  ("We've missed the train." "Never mind, there's another one in ten minutes.") 3 never you mind spoken used to tell someone not to ask questions about something because you do not want to tell them about it  ("What were you talking about just now?" "Never you mind.") 4 you never know spoken used to say that something which seems unlikely may happen  (Try it! You never know, you might be lucky.) 5 that would never do spoken used to say that you would not want something to happen  (Someone might discover our secret and that would never do.) 6 I never knew (that) spoken used to mean that you did not know something until now  (I never knew Texas was so big. | I've just learned something I never knew before.) 7 well, I never (did)! spoken used to say that you are very surprised  (Well, I never! I wouldn't have thought she was that old.) 8 never! BrE spoken used when you are surprised by something, because you think it is not possible  (He's never going to cycle all the way to Manchester! | Never! I don't believe it!) 9 never so much as not even  (The thought that Laura might be having an affair had never so much as crossed his mind.) 10 no I never! BrE spoken used by a child to say that they did not do something bad when someone else is saying that they did  ("You cheated, didn't you?" "No, I never.") 11 never fear old-fashioned used to tell someone not to worry  (She'll be back, never fear.) 12 never say die used to encourage someone when they are losing hope