ever recently

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ever recently" is not correct and not commonly used in written English.
It seems to be an attempt to combine "ever" and "recently," but they do not work together in this way. Example: "I haven't seen him ever recently, but I hope he's doing well."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

But did they ever, recently?

The New Yorker

And, in one way, it is literally more visible than ever: recently, in an attempt to cut the number of road accidents, the police in Lerida, Catalunya, issued the prostitutes working in out-of-town lay-bys with fluorescent waistcoats.

Independent

Completing the circle back to the record store, an illegal CD collecting the years best mash-ups, "The Best Bootlegs in the World Ever," recently appeared on the shelves of some underground music retailers in England and the United States.

The New York Times

Oh, it's fine for them to cheer for [Jacques ] Mesrine" he says, referring to France's most notorious criminal ever, recently embodied by Cassel in a two-part, César-winning film, "because he's played by an actor everyone thinks is cool.

The Guardian - Film

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

His first full-scale solo show, "Any Ever", opened recently at MoMA's PS1.

The Economist

Her weekends are a respite that she cherishes more than ever after recently undergoing chemotherapy and surgery for breast cancer.

The New York Times

Alert and energetic as ever, he recently annoyed many administration officials by casting doubt on the wisdom of the president's tax-cutting plans.

The New York Times

She spent most of the 1990s in posts in Iranian universities and has visited frequently ever since, recently making a six-week trip.

The Guardian

SM: If your films about the business of getting people to see them, have you ever been recently tempted to make things for the BBC or Channel 4, where you'll get a couple of million people watching them?

The Guardian - Film

After all, I stayed home on the couch last Saturday night and watched Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) on Channel 13. A. O. Scott, who has probably forgotten more about the cinema than I will ever know, recently referred to "Scott Pilgrim" in The New York Times as "the best video game movie ever".

The New York Times

Smith, regarded as England's best ever player, recently retired from international duty.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using "ever recently", opt for clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives like "recently" or "lately" to indicate events that occurred not long ago.

Common error

Avoid combining "ever" and "recently" as they don't typically function well together. "Ever" often refers to any time, while "recently" indicates a short time ago. Mixing them can lead to confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ever recently" functions as an adverbial modifier, attempting to specify when an action or event occurred. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this combination is grammatically incorrect and not commonly used. The intended meaning is typically better conveyed by "recently" or "lately" alone.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "ever recently" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. While the intention might be to emphasize that something has happened close to the present time, the combination of "ever" and "recently" is awkward and confusing. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is not correct and not commonly used. It's advisable to use alternatives such as "recently", "lately", "just recently", or "very recently" to express the intended meaning more effectively. The examples from Ludwig show that the phrase appears in diverse contexts, but this doesn't validate its correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lately

Simple one-word replacement for "recently", implying a period leading up to the present.

very recently

Emphasizes the short time frame, making it more emphatic than "recently".

just recently

Highlights the immediacy and newness of an event or situation.

as of late

Slightly more emphatic way of saying "lately".

in recent times

Shifts the focus to a period, offering a broader perspective than a specific point in time.

of late

Provides a slightly more formal and literary alternative to "recently".

not long ago

Offers a more casual way to indicate something happened in the near past.

in the past few days

Specifies a very short period, making the timeframe more concrete.

in recent weeks

Expands the timeframe, suggesting occurrences over several weeks.

in the current climate

Focuses on the present situation, implying relevance to the immediate context.

FAQs

Is it correct to use "ever recently" in a sentence?

No, the phrase "ever recently" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use alternatives like "just recently" or "very recently".

What does "ever recently" try to convey?

The phrase "ever recently" seems to attempt to combine the ideas of 'at any time' (ever) and 'in the near past' (recently). However, these concepts don't combine logically in most contexts.

How can I rephrase a sentence containing "ever recently" to make it grammatically sound?

Replace "ever recently" with a more appropriate phrase such as "lately", "recently", or "in recent times", depending on the intended meaning.

What are some common mistakes people make when trying to use "ever recently"?

A common mistake is attempting to emphasize the recency of an event using both "ever" and "recently". Instead, focus on using one term that accurately conveys the intended timeframe, such as "just now", "very recently", or "of late".