ain't

[eynt]

1. Nonstandard except in some dialects.,  contraction of am not; are not; is not.

2. Nonstandard.,  contraction of have not; has not; do not; does not; did not.

ain't

/ eɪnt /

contraction

1. am not, is not, are not, have not, or has not

   I ain't seen it

Usage

As a substitute for am not, is not, and are not in declarative sentences, ain't is more common in uneducated speech than in educated, but it occurs with some frequency in the informal speech of the educated, especially in the southern and south-central states. This is especially true of the interrogative use of ain't I? as a substitute for the formal and—to some—stilted am I not? or for aren't I?, considered by some to be ungrammatical, or for the awkward—and rare in American speech— amn't I? Some speakers avoid any of the preceding forms by substituting Isn't that so ( true, the case ) ? Ain't occurs in humorous or set phrases: Ain't it the truth! She ain't what she used to be. It ain't funny. The word is also used for emphasis: That just ain't so! It does not appear in formal writing except for deliberate effect in such phrases or to represent speech. As a substitute for have not or has not and—occasionally in Southern speech— do not, does not, and did not, it is nonstandard except in similar humorous uses: You ain't heard nothin' yet! See also aren't.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ain't¹

First recorded in 1770–80; variant of amn't (contraction of am not ) by loss of m and raising with compensatory lengthening of a; aren't

Example Sentences

“I ain’t get him it yet, but I got to,” King said with a laugh.

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“I said, ‘That ain’t none of me.’”

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Sure, but that ain’t up to me.

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When shortstop Mookie Betts, the only active player with four World Series rings, followed him, he quadrupled the expectation: “I got four. Now it’s time to fill the hand all the way up, baby. ‘Three-peat’ ain’t never sounded so sweet.

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The elder Henley has denied the accusations, saying on videos, “I ain’t did nothing” and “I ain’t been nothing but a help to our community,” before voluntarily turning himself in.

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