nary
Americanadjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of nary
First recorded in 1740–50; variant of ne'er a never a
Explanation
Use the adjective nary to mean "none," or "not a single one." If you hope for a snowy morning, when you wake up you'll be sad to see nary a snowflake. Nary is an old fashioned and informal way to say "not." You might describe your friend's sad, empty book shelves with nary a novel on them, or your bald great uncle, who has nary a hair on his head. The word has been around since the mid-1700s, from never a, which was then shortened to ne'er a, and finally nary.
Vocabulary lists containing nary
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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The Color Purple
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The Mysterious Benedict Society
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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.
The sun hadn’t even set yet over the Coliseum, and already Trent Mosley had broken free, with nary a defender within 15 yards on either side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
It was a boat ride for the history books, with nary a sailor in sight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
But what do you call the grief that comes when the modern world leaves nary a trace of the place that raised you?
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2025
They waved Mexican flags and Salvadoran and Venezuelan ones, with nary an Old Glory in sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025
“He’s had nary a word of human feelin’ fer what happened to that little girl, nary a word of thanks that Matt saved his worthless boy from his neighbors.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
