no-no
Americannoun
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no-nos,
plural
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no-no's
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of no-no
1940–45, reduplication of no 1
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:
The future Goldman Sachs CEO’s shirt collars were popping out—a no-no in his buttoned-up white-shoe law office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Putting EU money behind nuclear projects was long a no-no, with the 27-nation bloc focusing on renewables in the race to cut planet warming emissions.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
The biggest no-no: Uploading documents with personal information into a publicly available AI tool.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 17, 2026
“Using AI to help prepare for interview questions is fine, but reading off a screen with interview responses is a total breach of trust and a big no-no for me,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025
Her brightly stained lips tightened and she twitched her head in a no-no rebuke.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
But what if there are things that are major no-no’s that I don’t know about?
From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2019
We’re talking about “K” signs along the upper deck railing, superstitious whispers for a pitcher who has taken 11 no-hitters into the sixth inning in his last 71 starts and completed two of those no-no’s.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 28, 2017
Among the no-no’s - reaching out for handshakes or conversation with the pope and those accompanying him as they walk down the center aisle of the grand House chamber.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 24, 2015
The same sighing-and-hand-wringing routine applies to all of the supposed pregnancy no-no’s: wine, sushi, hot baths, intense exercise, flying, scooping cat litter.
From Time ● Dec. 2, 2014
‘Hey, I don’t know. Some Cherokee taboos were permanent no-no’s, like killing eagles.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
“Natural light is the best. I can’t do a dark house. The no-no of no-nos is bad floor plan and flow, and not enough natural light.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025
Among the social no-nos: Surreptitiously recording others and reading on the device while seeming to ignore others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2024
First, be sure to stir your tea gently — splishing & splashing or clinking are absolute no-nos.
From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2024
“Things that are super-feminine and flowery” are big no-nos.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2022
The few Excel sheets in question, during one recent encounter, turned out to have 400 columns each, replete with mismatched terms and other coding no-nos, said Mr. Althouse, who works at the University of Pittsburgh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2018
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.
