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dunno

American  
[duh-noh] / dəˈnoʊ /
Informal.
  1. don't know.

    Who did it? I dunno!


dunno British  
/ dʌˈnəʊ, də-, dʊ- /

contraction

  1. (I) do not know

"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

Etymology

Origin of dunno

First recorded in 1835–45; a phonetic spelling representing the pronunciation of don't know in continuous rapid speech


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:

We had thought about playing off of the first one, like “Sweet and Juicy” going to like, I dunno, “Umami” or “Delicious” or some other thing that’s like food-related.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

The rest of the world either didn’t participate or spent its social currency on Facebook or Instagram or, I dunno, kickball for grown-ups.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2023

"I dunno why but the coffee mug is sending me. Like she popped by on her way to get the morning paper."

From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2023

“Ah dunno, ’cept yuh never mentioned it befo’, ” Georgia replies.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

“Nah, I was just...I dunno, a little disappointed. That’s all.”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

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