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

Synonyms

• let alone
• much less
• still less

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

Though things don't go very well the first time around, Ron’s friends convince him to give it another shot — never mind that the holiday has since passed. —Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024

An embassy of ten to 15 diplomats, never mind a mission housing only one or two, should not be expected to fulfill the same administrative requirements as larger posts. —Charles Edel, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024

Advertisement Harris set traps for Trump so obvious that a child, never mind a man who has participated in three sets of presidential debates, could have seen them a mile away. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024

Both Hayek Pinault and Bichir can obviously hold an audience’s attention through body language alone, never mind delivering dialogue, yet Jolie keeps interrupting their discussion with flashbacks that illustrate their recollections. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1