never mind

IPA/nˈɛvə mˈaɪnd/
IPA/nˈɛvɚ mˈaɪnd/

never mind — idiom

1. a friendly way of telling somebody to stop being upset or bothered about a thing

1.慣用語B1
釋義

a friendly way of telling somebody to stop being upset or bothered about a thing, because it is too small to matter.

例句

Takeshi dropped a plate, but his mother just smiled and said, "Never mind."

spoken reassurance after a small accident

"I forgot to bring the tickets." "Never mind, the staff can look up our booking."

never mind softening a mistake

同義詞
  • forget it

    more casual; can sound slightly dismissive

  • no worries

    informal, common in everyday speech for reassurance

文法句型

never mind (+ clause)

用法筆記

Often used on its own as a short reply, or followed by a noun or clause naming the thing to stop worrying about. Distinguish from sense 2: here it calms someone, while sense 2 compares two things by importance.

常見錯誤

❌Don't never mind it.
✅Never mind it.
💡'never mind' is already the whole phrase; do not add 'don't' in front.

2. you say this between two ideas to stress that if the first thing is already hard

2.慣用語B2
釋義

you say this between two ideas to stress that if the first thing is already hard or surprising, the second thing is even more so.

例句

Hassan can barely lift the small box, never mind the heavy suitcase by the door.

X, never mind Y to stress a bigger case

Linh cannot afford a bicycle right now, never mind a brand-new car.

comparing a smaller and a larger expense

同義詞
  • let alone

    very close in meaning; works in the same position

  • much less

    slightly more formal; same emphatic comparison

文法句型

X, never mind Y

用法筆記

Comes after a negative or limiting statement and introduces a more extreme case. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense compares two things rather than reassuring someone. Close in meaning to 'let alone'.

常見錯誤

❌She can run a mile, never mind a short walk.
✅She can barely manage a short walk, never mind a mile.
💡the harder case must come after 'never mind', not before.