ain't

American  

[eynt] / eɪnt /

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.

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ain't British  

/ eɪnt /

contraction

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

   I ain't seen it

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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.

Etymology

Origin of ain't

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’m grateful for what I have. I’ve got a roof over my head, I’ve got food to eat. ... Everything’s OK. Just get your money back, please. I don’t need anybody’s money, and I wouldn’t do it this way. I’ve got too much pride. This ain’t my style.”

From Los Angeles Times

Upward of $10 million, Martha Ackmann reports in “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool,” a deeply detailed, and footnoted, account of Ms. Parton’s life and career.

From The Wall Street Journal

I say you ain’t seen nothing yet.

From Barron's

"I don't want people thinking I am bitter when I ain't."

From BBC

Appeared in the December 20, 2025, print edition as 'Ain’t No Party Like an AI Party'.

From The Wall Street Journal