nay
Americanadverb
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and not only so but; not only that but also; indeed.
many good, nay, noble qualities.
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Archaic. no (used in dissent, denial, or refusal).
noun
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a denial or refusal.
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a negative vote or voter.
noun
adverb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of nay
1125–75; Middle English nai, nei < Old Norse nei no, contraction of ne not + ei ever; see na, ay 1
Explanation
A nay is a "no" or "negative" vote. If you vote nay during your club's vote, you are voting against the proposal. If your teacher holds a vote on whether to have a pizza party instead of a geometry quiz, it's unlikely anyone will vote nay. Long ago, the word nay was simply used as a substitute for "no," but it sounds odd today: "Nay, I don't need any ketchup with my fries." You can use it, however, to mean "this word is more appropriate," as when you say, "I'm upset, nay furious, that you forgot my birthday."
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.
NAY: Brady topped 4,000 yards passing for the 11th time, but the six-time champion showed signs of slowing down at age 42.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2020
NAY: Allen complained of experiencing early jitters in several high-profile games in December, most notably a 17-10 prime-time playoff-clinching win at Pittsburgh on Dec. 15, followed by a 24-17 loss at New England.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2020
NAY: The Titans started out holding opponents to 20 or fewer points in each of their first seven games and ended up doing that in 10 games overall.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2020
NAY: The Chiefs’ biggest weakness is their secondary, where the loss of safety Juan Thornhill to a season-ending ACL tear against the Chargers leaves a big void in the back end.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2020
YEA, alas, must turn to NAY, Flesh to clay.
From Poems by Henley, William Ernest
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.
