Always means every single time, without exception, or continuously without stopping. When something happens always, it happens in the past, the present, and the future, no matter what. The sun always rises in the east. Water always flows downhill. If you promise to always tell the truth, you're saying you'll never lie, not even once.

The word describes something constant and unchanging. Your heart always beats while you're alive. Best friends might promise to always be there for each other, meaning their friendship won't fade even when times get tough or they live far apart.

People also use always to exaggerate when they're frustrated, though this usage isn't literally true. A kid might complain, “You always blame me!” when they really mean “You blame me a lot” or “You blamed me this time and last time.” This exaggeration can make conversations more dramatic than they need to be.

The opposite of always is never, meaning not even once. Together, these words mark the absolute ends of possibility: something either happens every time (always) or no times (never), with everything else falling somewhere in between.