hain't

American

[heynt] / heɪnt /

Nonstandard Older Use.

ain't; have not; has not.

hain't British

/ heɪnt /

contraction

has not, have not, or is not

"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 hain't

1830–40, originally contraction of have not, has not (with loss of consonant and compensatory lengthening of a ); influenced in use by ain't

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.

She was talking about her mother, who lives in eastern North Carolina, and she had to get up really early, and her mother said, ‘‘I hain’t even rolled over good.’’

From New York Times

Susan, Susan, I hope Jacob hain't been putting none of these ungrateful ideers into your breast.

From Project Gutenberg

"I don't know, boss," replied the ailing negro, "I hain't missed nothing but my watch as yet."

From Project Gutenberg

"Hain't walked the nine mile from the railroad station, hev ye?" asked Cap'n Bill.

From Project Gutenberg

"You hain't lived with her yit."

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023