Used typically in negative sentences in the form 'A는커녕 B', meaning that not only did a negative event A happen (or a positive event A did not happen), but that an even more negative event B happened (or a less positive event B did not happen either).
Example
유경은대학교커녕초등학교도다니지못했다.
Yugyeong wasn't able to attend elementary school, much less college.
그시절운동은커녕하루의절반은누워있었다.
Back then, not only did I not exercise, I spent half of each day lying down.
1999년에지구멸망은커녕멀쩡하게잘돌아가고있었다.
Not only did the world not end in 1999, everything was going just fine.
시험을망친진우에게는위로의말을해주기는커녕오히려차갑게대했다.
Not only did I not comfort Jinwoo after he failed his test, I treated him coldly.
The perpetrator met the victim and said he would kill her if she didn't return his money, threatening her with a kitchen knife, but the victim mocked him without showing any sign of fear.
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