no sir

Idioms

Also, no sirree. Certainly not. This emphatic denial is used without regard to the gender of the person addressed. For example, No sir, I'm not taking her up on that, or Live here? No sirree. [Mid-1800s]

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.

They aren’t grossed out by the men, no sir, not at all!

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025

“No, no, sir, OK? We had a discussion,” Ramirez says.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2023

If they pull you over, it’s ‘Yes sir, no sir.’

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2022

Krzyzewski graduated from West Point, where the only three answers a plebe was allowed to give an upperclassman were: yes, sir; no, sir; no excuse, sir.

From Washington Post • Jun. 2, 2021

“Oh, no, sir, he lost his temper easily—as I say, it just depended what had happened to upset him.”

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

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