I never conceived of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I never conceived of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing that you did not imagine or think of something in the past. Example: "I never conceived of the idea that we could travel to Mars within my lifetime."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

You might not buy this, but I never conceived of my first three films as genre films.

The New Yorker

To my surprise, my artistry was pulled in a direction that I never conceived of.

Huffington Post

When I decided to help the opposition build a fraud detection computer platform, I never conceived of the ruthless, brutal attacks they were capable of inflicting on me and my family.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Perhaps it never conceived of a high-profile case being filed against it by one of its partners asserting a pattern of harassment and retaliation, which is what it is facing now.

The New York Times

Yet Droysen and authors before him never conceived of understanding solely as an act of mental imitation or solely as an act of imaginatively "transporting" oneself into the point of view of another person.

SEP

I was about to fly farther from home than I had ever been; I was flying to a place I had never conceived of going to before.

Huffington Post

I felt I was a head of an urban lifestyle company and I've never conceived of myself as car person [or knowing] anything about cars.

The Guardian - Business

"I have never conceived of this case as a contest of wills between me and Mr. Gates," he said, referring to William H. Gates, the software company's founder.

The New York Times

The list of the country at its most malign could go on, but my point is this: I have never conceived of myself for the length of a single sentence as an American Jewish or Jewish American writer, any more than I imagine Dreiser and Hemingway and Cheever thought of themselves while at work as American Christian or Christian American or just plain Christian writers.

The New Yorker

I have never conceived of the police as there to serve and protect me: not as a woman, not as a black person, certainly not as a black woman and now – every minute of now – not as the mother of a black son.

The Guardian - Opinion

"I never conceived such a mass of misery in the world before".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I never conceived of" to express genuine surprise or disbelief about a past event or possibility that you did not consider beforehand.

Common error

Avoid using "I never conceive of" when you mean you simply dislike something in the present. "Conceived of" refers to a past failure to imagine, not a current preference. Instead, use "I can't imagine" or "I don't understand".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I never conceived of" functions as a declarative statement expressing a past inability to imagine or anticipate a particular event or situation. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through numerous examples across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "I never conceived of" is a common expression used to convey a past inability to imagine or anticipate a particular event. It's grammatically correct and Ludwig confirms its use across varied sources. The phrase primarily communicates surprise or disbelief and is considered neutral in tone. For alternative expressions, consider phrases such as "I never imagined", "I never thought of", or "I couldn't have foreseen". When using "I never conceived of", ensure you are referring to a past realization, not a present preference.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I never imagined

Focuses on a lack of prior imagination regarding something.

I never thought of

Emphasizes a lack of consideration or contemplation.

I couldn't have foreseen

Highlights the inability to predict a future event or situation.

I hadn't anticipated

Stresses a lack of preparation or expectation for something.

It never occurred to me

Indicates a complete absence of the idea in one's mind.

I never dreamt of

Implies a lack of even a fantastical consideration.

I couldn't have predicted

Similar to "foreseen" but focuses on prediction.

I did not expect

A straightforward expression of a lack of expectation.

I was unprepared for

Focuses on the state of being unready for an event.

It was beyond my comprehension

Highlights the inability to understand or grasp something.

FAQs

What does "I never conceived of" mean?

It means that you were unable to imagine or foresee something in the past. It expresses surprise or disbelief that something happened or could happen.

What can I say instead of "I never conceived of"?

You can use alternatives like "I never imagined", "I never thought of", or "I couldn't have foreseen" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "I never conceive of"?

While grammatically correct, it's less common. "I never conceived of" typically refers to something in the past that you didn't anticipate. If you want to discuss something in the present use "I cannot imagine".

How to use "I never conceived of" in a sentence?

Use it to describe a past realization of something you had not previously imagined. For example: "When I decided to help the opposition build a fraud detection computer platform, "I never conceived of" the ruthless, brutal attacks they were capable of inflicting on me and my family."