Occurring at any time, occurring even but once during a timespan.
"I have never ever seen such a beautiful sunset in my entire life."
"The ever-widening gap between rich and poor remains a major global issue."
Usage: Use "ever" as an adjective to describe something that happens at least once within a specific period or range of possibilities. It functions correctly in phrases like "the best ever" to indicate the highest standard achieved so far, rather than describing a continuous state.
Always, frequently, forever.
"She has ever been a loyal friend who is always there to help when you need her most."
In plain English: Ever means at any time during your life up until now.
"Have you ever tried to bake a cake without following a recipe?"
Usage: Use "ever" to mean always or continuously when describing an action that happens without interruption over a period of time. Avoid using it to simply mean frequently, as that nuance usually requires the word "often."
Shortening of every
"I hope you've ever tried that new restaurant downtown because I can't wait to go there myself."
The word ever comes from Middle English and originally combined elements for "always" and "in life." Its modern sense as a universal time marker likely developed through its close association with the word never.