nary a

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

In two years Curt Cignetti took a woebegone college team, with nary a five-star player, to an undefeated national championship.

From Los Angeles Times

By the time we covered the walls and windows of the Clark Street room with dark fabrics and draperies, nary a ray of sunlight could penetrate inside.

From Literature

Madame Pernelle, too, worships at the shrine of Tartuffe, but has nary a good word, and many a bad one, for anyone else.

From The Wall Street Journal

This issue is raised because the end of the investment year means that nary a day passes without some bank strategist, or some pundit, waxing confidently, often in significant detail, about what will happen over the next 12 months in one of the world’s most complex environments: the financial markets.

From Barron's

Perhaps Mr. Stoppard’s most plainly personal work—although you could examine its many sleeves of thought and find nary a heart exposed—it is one of the most complex and persuasive contemporary plays about the truths and illusions inherent in loving.

From The Wall Street Journal