Always vs. Never — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Always and Never
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Definitions
Always
At all times; on all occasions
The sun always rises in the east
Never
Not ever; on no occasion; at no time
He had never been there before. You never can be sure.
Always
As a last resort; failing all else
If the marriage doesn't work out, we can always get divorced
Never
Not at all; in no way; absolutely not
Never fear. That will never do.
Always
At all times; invariably
Always late.
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Never
At no time; on no occasion; in no circumstance.
I finally finished, and I never want to do that again.
I repeated the test a hundred times, and never saw a positive result.
I will never tell.
Always
For all time; forever
They will always be friends.
Never
Not at any other time; not on any other occasion; not previously.
Always
At any time; in any event
You can always resign if you're unhappy.
Never
(colloquial) Negative particle (used to negate verbs in the simple past tense; also used absolutely).
The police say I stole the car, but I never did it.
You said you were going to mow the lawn today. – I never!
I never saw him today.
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Always
At all times; throughout all time; since the beginning.
God is always the same.
Green has always been my favorite color. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember.
Airplanes did not always exist as a form of transportation.
Never
A statement of defiance
Always
Constantly during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals (opposed to sometimes or occasionally).
In this street, the shops always close during lunchtime.
Never
Not ever; not at any time; at no time, whether past, present, or future.
Death still draws nearer, never seeming near.
Always
(informal) In any event.
I thought I could always go back to work.
Never
In no degree; not in the least; not.
Whosoever has a friend to guide him, may carry his eyes in another man's head, and yet see never the worse.
And he answered him to never a word.
Always
At all times; ever; perpetually; throughout all time; continually; as, God is always the same.
Even in Heaven his [Mammon's] looks and thoughts.
Never
Not ever; at no time in the past or future;
I have never been to China
I shall never forget this day
Had never seen a circus
Never on Sunday
I will never marry you!
Always
Constancy during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals; invariably; uniformly; - opposed to sometimes or occasionally.
He always rides a black galloway.
Never
Not at all; certainly not; not in any circumstances;
Never fear
Bringing up children is never easy
That will never do
What is morally wrong can never be politically right
Always
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
Always
Seemingly without interruption; often and repeatedly;
Always looking for faults
It is always raining
He is forever cracking jokes
They are forever arguing
Always
At any time or in any event;
You can always resign if you don't like it
You could always take a day off
Always
Forever; throughout all time;
We will always be friends
I shall treasure it always
I will always love you
