1 [usually with negative or in questions] at any time:nothing ever seemed to ruffle herdon’t you ever regret giving up all that money?
used in comparisons for emphasis:they felt better than ever beforeour biggest ever range
2at all times; always:ever the man of action, he was impatient with intellectualscaravan holidays remain as popular as everthey lived happily ever after [in combination]:he toyed with his ever-present cigar
3 [with comparative] increasingly; constantly:having to borrow ever larger sums
4used for emphasis in questions expressing astonishment or outrage:who ever heard of a grown man being frightened of the dark?why ever did you do it?
ever again
[usually with negative] at any time in the future:I never have to set foot inside a classroom ever againI honestly cannot imagine ever again working in an office for someone else
ever and anon
archaic occasionally:ever and anon the stillness is rent by the scream of a gibbon
[from Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost ( v. ii. 101)]
ever since
throughout the period since:she had lived alone ever since her husband died
ever so/such
British informal very; very much:I am ever so gratefulshe’s ever such a pretty catthanks ever so