Meanings
adverbne'er (not comparable)
alternative ne're
- abbreviationcontractiondialectalnot comparablepoeticor fossilized; otherwise archaic; or fossilized; otherwise archaicContraction of never.
The foe had better ne’er been born that gets in “Stonewall’s Way.”
1862, John Williamson Palmer, Stonewall Jackson's Way1 more example
"What should we do for the propine - We used to offer something fine, But ne'er a groat's in pouch of mine"
1877, Walter Scott, The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott With a Memoir · Volume 6, page 322
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbnot at all; certainly not; not in any circumstances; not ever; at no time in the past or future
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Contraction of never.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ne'er
aretherewherecarecompareairsharehairmaryrepairfairbearwearrarelayerpairawareprepareprayermayorterrorPierresparebare
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
ne'er. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ne'er
MLA
“ne'er.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ne'er. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ne'er,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ne'er.
Source: ne'er on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.