naysay
Americanverb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of naysay
Explanation
If you've ever wanted to do something and a parent has told you no, you know what naysay means. To naysay is to to refuse or oppose something: for example, a parent might naysay having a hamburger for dinner. Naysay is made up of the parts nay and say. Nay comes from a Scandinavian root, and say comes from an Old English root. The word naysay itself, as a verb, was originally from Scottish English, which makes sense when you look at the etymology, as there has been a lot of Scandinavian influence on Scotland and Northern England. Go ahead and blame the Vikings!
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.
See Examples For:
“You don’t change a culture overnight. The first part of that is acknowledging what has happened. Nobody can naysay or deny or act ignorant anymore.”
From Washington Post ● May 23, 2022
“I’m a man first and foremost. I didn’t get this far by listening to all the naysay and doubters. I just come to work and do my job every day.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 9, 2020
She thought it stank of moisture and car exhaust, but she wouldn’t naysay Sasha.
From Nature ● Dec. 17, 2019
If Cameroon’s dismal antics fuelled the fire for those who naysay African football’s progress, Ghana were depressingly swift to provide the ignition.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 27, 2014
So she put her hand on his bridle to lead him, and he followed without naysay, and the others after him.
From The Sundering Flood by May Morris
This challenge they naysaid in few words, for the town was well victualled and manned.
From The Sundering Flood by May Morris
Nevertheless, when her fosterling fed her kindly from her abundance they naysaid it not.
From The Sundering Flood by May Morris
He hailed us courteously, and asked if he might abide with us till morning, and we naysaid him not, if he might do with such cheer as we might make him.
From The Sundering Flood by May Morris
And whereas I was determined what to do, and had my war-sword by my side, I naysaid her not, but made her good countenance.
From The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris
To make a short tale of it, he bade Bull sell me to him, which Bull utterly naysaid, standing stiff and stark before the Lord, and scowling on him.
From The Well at the World's End: a tale by William Morris
“The side that’s naysaying this agreement is casting spit on our efforts.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
A naysaying physical therapist, meanwhile, made her determined to surpass low expectations.
From New York Times ● Oct. 2, 2022
"We are not the bear who said 'No'," Bennett said in an interview with Israel's Army Radio, referring to a popular naysaying character from children's literature.
From Reuters ● Dec. 28, 2021
She dealt with closed borders, a bungled diamond valuation and naysaying commenters along the way.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2021
Logically speaking, a sentence with a naysaying word like not, no, neither, nor, or never is just the mirror image of an affirmative sentence.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
