ever
AdverbWordNet 3.0
Adverb (3)
- at any time“did you ever smoke?”“the best con man of all time”Synonyms: of all time
- at all times; all the time and on every occasion“I will always be there to help you”“always arrives on time”“there is always some pollution in the air”“ever hoping to strike it rich”“ever busy”Synonyms: alwayse'er
- (intensifier for adjectives) very“she was ever so friendly”Synonyms: ever so
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
1.At any time; at any period or point of time. [1913 Webster]
No man ever yet hated his own flesh.— Eph. v. 29.[1913 Webster]
2.At all times; through all time; always; forever. [1913 Webster]
He shall ever love, and always be The subject of by scorn and cruelty.— Dryder.[1913 Webster]
3.Without cessation; continually. [1913 Webster]
Note: Ever is sometimes used as an intensive or a word of enforcement. "His the old man e'er a son?" --Shak. [1913 Webster]
To produce as much as ever they can.— M. Arnold.[1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
And all the question (wrangle e'er so long), Is only this, if God has placed him wrong.— Pope.[1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
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] [1913 Webster]
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!— Shak.[1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]