wouldn't

American

[wood-nt] / ˈwʊd nt /

contraction of would not:

I wouldn't ask her.

wouldn't British

/ ˈwʊdənt /

contraction

would not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wouldn't Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing wouldn't

butter wouldn't melt
caught dead, wouldn't be
not
not (wouldn't) lift a finger

Usage

See contraction.

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.

She wouldn’t leave until sunrise the following morning, according to the civil tort claim, which often precedes a lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

Several radiologists tell her they wouldn’t want to work without AI assistance.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

"I wouldn't have been able to live with it and look my children in the eye," he said.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Does Khan realize—he must—that this theater wouldn’t contain the Rebel Alliance?

From Slate • May 8, 2026

“I would have fought! I wouldn’t ever have given up!”

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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