nary a

Idioms

Not one, as in There's nary a mention of taxes in that speech, or Nary an officer could be seen. This archaic-sounding contraction of “never a” remains in current use. [Mid-1700s]

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.

It was a boat ride for the history books, with nary a sailor in sight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Her production of “Ragtime,” with its sumptuous score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, had nary a weak link in a cast of characters among the most expansive in the recent annals of musicals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Maybe just stick with the Ben Affleck Dunkin’ ad, where nary a g-word is spoken.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2025

Some pestos throughout Italy also lean more toward a romesco-style sauce, using tomatoes or roasted peppers with nary a green in sight.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025

This is how I pictured Indianapolis, this crush of humankind with nary a familiar face.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

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