not

[ not ]
See synonyms for not on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. (used to express negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition): You must not do that. It's not far from here.

  2. U.S. Slang. (used jocularly as a postpositive interjection to indicate that a previous statement is untrue): I just love working overtime without pay. Not!

Idioms about not

  1. not so much, Informal. (an expression of dismissive scorn, ambivalence, or skepticism): Attractive? Yes. Smart? Not so much.Is the world coming to an end? Yeah, not so much.

Origin of not

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; weak variant of nought

Words that may be confused with not

Words Nearby not

Other definitions for NOT (2 of 3)

NOT
[ not ]

noun
  1. a Boolean operator that returns a positive result if its operand is negative and a negative result if its operand is positive.

Other definitions for not- (3 of 3)

not-

  1. variant of noto- before a vowel.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use not in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for not (1 of 2)

not

/ (nɒt) /


adverb
    • used to negate the sentence, phrase, or word that it modifies: I will not stand for it

    • (in combination): they cannot go

  1. not that (conjunction) which is not to say or suppose that: I expect to lose the game — not that I mind Also (archaic): not but what

sentence substitute
  1. used to indicate denial, negation, or refusal: certainly not

Origin of not

1
C14 not, variant of nought nothing, from Old English nāwiht, from no + wiht creature, thing. See naught, nought

British Dictionary definitions for not- (2 of 2)

not-

combining form
  1. a variant of noto-

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with not

not

In addition to the idioms beginning with not

  • not a bad sort
  • not a bit
  • not able
  • not about to
  • not a Chinaman's chance
  • not a hope in hell
  • not a leg to stand on
  • not a living soul
  • not all it's cracked up to be
  • not all that
  • not all there
  • not anything like
  • not at all
  • not bad
  • not bat an eye
  • not be caught dead
  • not born yesterday
  • not breathe a word
  • not built that way
  • not by a long shot
  • not by any means
  • not cricket
  • not done
  • not enough room to swing a cat
  • not feel oneself
  • not for all the tea in China
  • not for a moment
  • not for love or money
  • not give a damn
  • not give someone the time of day
  • not half bad
  • not have a bean
  • not have a clue
  • not have an earthly chance
  • not have anything on
  • not have it
  • not have one's heart in it
  • not have the heart to
  • not having any
  • not hurt a fly
  • not if one can help it
  • not if you paid me
  • not in the least
  • not know beans
  • not know enough to come in out of the rain
  • not know someone from Adam
  • not know where to turn
  • not know whether one is coming or going
  • not let the grass grow under one's feet
  • not lift a finger
  • not miss a trick
  • not move a muscle
  • not my cup of tea
  • not one iota
  • not one's day, this is
  • not oneself
  • not on your life
  • not open one's mouth
  • not put something past someone
  • not right in the head
  • not see beyond one's nose
  • not suffer fools gladly
  • not take no for answer
  • not the half of it
  • not the only fish in the sea
  • not think much of
  • not to be sneezed at
  • not to mention
  • not touch with a ten-foot pole
  • not to worry
  • not turn a hair
  • not up to
  • not worth a damn

also see:

  • all that glitters is not gold
  • (not) all there
  • (not) at all
  • believe it or not
  • caught dead, not be
  • (not a) Chinaman's chance
  • coming or going, not know if
  • do as I say (not as I do)
  • game is not worth the candle
  • heart (not) in it
  • hold one's breath, not
  • (not) in the least
  • (not) in the mood
  • it's (not) your funeral
  • last but not least
  • like as not
  • living soul, not a
  • mince matters, not to
  • more often than not
  • (not) move a muscle
  • no problem (not to worry)
  • (not to) sneeze at
  • (not) take no for an answer
  • (not) the half of it
  • (not) turn a hair
  • two wrongs do not make a right
  • waste not, want not
  • whether or not
  • without a (not a) leg to stand on
  • won't (will not) hear of

For verbal phrases also see undercan'tcouldn'twouldn't.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.