never mind

idiomatic phrase

1
used to tell someone not to be concerned about or give attention to something or someone
Never mind your mistake: it wasn't serious.
So you made a little mistake! Never mind (about that): it wasn't serious.
'Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,' said I. 'Oh, never mind about that, Mr. Wilson!' said Vincent Spaulding. 'I should be able to look after that for you.'Arthur Conan Doyle
He would tell Blossom that she might go back to her aunt and never mind about him—he would do very well by himself and he did not blame her in the least.Lucy Maud Montgomery
2
used to say that something previously mentioned or asked can be disregarded
Do you know where my keys are? Oh, never mind. Here they are.
3
used to refer to something that is even less likely or possible than something else being mentioned or described
I can barely understand it, never mind explain it.
With this knee I can hardly walk, never mind run.
Never mind mastering a second language or a subject syllabus, most us have enough difficulty remembering the orders for a round of drinks at the pub.David Robson

Examples of never mind in a Sentence

I have a hard enough time getting out of bed before sunrise, never mind getting to work so early.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His face could have been on our money, never mind his name on our sticks. Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2025 The tumble down the standings means the Oilers should start away from home and probably might not be considered favourites in the opening road games — never mind the rest of the playoffs. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025 Upsetting New Zealand’s professionals might amount to Fiji’s finest moment in soccer, never mind the World Cup. Reuters, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025 If the narwhal tusk, a tightly spiraling tooth than can grow up to nine feet in length, was not in fact from a unicorn, then perhaps the horn of the southern African wildebeest or gnu was what the ancients meant by a unicorn—never mind that these are actually two-horned. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for never mind

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of never mind was in 1677

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Cite this Entry

“Never mind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/never%20mind. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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