nix
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
nixes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nixed,
past participle, past
-
nixing
present participle
adverb
interjection
noun
-
nixes
plural
-
another word for no 1
-
be careful! watch out!
noun
-
a rejection or refusal
-
nothing at all
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
nixsimple
-
nixessimple
-
have nixedperfect
-
has nixedperfect
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am nixingprogressive
-
are nixingprogressive
-
is nixingprogressive
-
have been nixingperfect progressive
-
has been nixingperfect progressive
Past
-
nixedsimple
-
had nixedperfect
-
was nixingprogressive
-
were nixingprogressive
-
had been nixingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nix1
First recorded in 1780–90; from German, variant of nichts “nothing”
Origin of nix2
1825–35; < German Nix, Old High German nihhus; cognate with Old English nicor water monster, Old Norse nykr, Norwegian nøkk, Swedish näck; compare Sanskrit nenekti (he) washes
Explanation
If you nix something, you cancel or veto it. You might nix your little sister's plan to build a fire pit in the middle of the front yard. In North America, to nix something is to forbid or put an end to it. Your aunt might nix your idea about a surprise party for your uncle, knowing he would hate it, and a babysitter might nix her charges' plan to stay up all night watching movies. Another, less formal meaning of nix is "nothing." This is also the oldest meaning of the word, from the German nichts, also "nothing," and pronounced in much the same way.
Vocabulary lists containing nix
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The sole exception could be Google, which has the option to nix its deal after a one-month grace period if SpaceX can’t hold up its end of the bargain by the end of September.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
Midway through filming the documentary, the Oregon Department of Corrections announced it planned to nix funding for the FPP.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026
Tesla was going to unveil it in the first quarter, but Elon Musk opted to nix the reveal, citing the risk of competitors copying Tesla’s progress.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
Lawyers for the companies have already vowed to appeal, insisting that they can persuade higher courts to nix these awards as a misapplication of the law.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
The Latin for snowflake is nix, almost the same as the German for nothing.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
It also nixes a system in which automakers can buy credits from competitors to offset fines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The Gap nixes Exchange Act derivative claims via forum selection - 9th Circ.
From Reuters ● Jun. 1, 2023
This baked spinach-artichoke pasta nixes cream cheese for salty Parmesan and heavy cream.
From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2022
Proof of Stake nixes puzzles, instead requiring users to lock up some of their existing tokens as a security measure to “prove” they have a “stake” in keeping the ledger accurate.
From The Verge ● Nov. 30, 2021
She is more dangerous than the nixes: the snares which they laid for their victims were cobwebs, compared to the one she is weaving for you.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 49, November, 1861 by Various
If the California Coastal Commission has its way, vehicular access soon will be nixed at Centerville Beach County Park — one of just a handful of beaches where driving is allowed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Iman, who will play Hades’ wife, Persephone, in the production, addressed the news that Segers had been nixed in a since-expired Instagram story on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
In May, the powerful Imperial Irrigation District nixed Rucci’s plan to buy farmland, leave it fallow and use the allotted water from the Colorado River to cool the data center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Dave & Buster’s quietly nixed the remaining dates on the Hello Kitty tour shortly after the Irvine party.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
She studied it for a second and okayed or nixed it.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Just a few days earlier, U.S. regulators proposed nixing rules requiring manual brake pedals in autonomous vehicles.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
After nixing a blockbuster with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Baltimore Ravens sprang into action and landed one of the biggest stars available in free agency instead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Kennedy, decided earlier this month, Justices Carlos Samour and Richard Gabriel “specially concurred” to advocate nixing the per se grave or serious shortcut.
From Slate ● Dec. 29, 2025
It’s an interesting thought experiment to imagine companies nixing these policies if they were still largely referred to as diversity initiatives.
From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2025
For the next four days it snowed, nixing any chance for a flight.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
