Standard Lemma guide

nay

adj · adv · intj · name · noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • nā
  • /neɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: Neagh
  • homophone: neigh
  • homophone: nee (pane–pain merger)
  • rhymes with -eɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: N EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Nary; not any

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

Examples

  • 'Tis easy to do this experiment, though nay substance will do: we shall need a special one.
  • Nay man could have come out of such a situation unscathed.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

No.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, dialectal, not-comparable

Qualifier: otherwise humorous

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Introducing a statement, without direct negation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, dialectal, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Or rather, or should I say; moreover (introducing a stronger and more appropriate expression than the preceding one).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, not-comparable

Qualifier: otherwise humorous

Examples

  • His face was dirty, nay, filthy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

intj

Meaning 5

No.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

name

Meaning 6

Abbreviation of Nayarit: a state of Mexico.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

name

Meaning 7

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A vote against.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I vote nay, even though the motion is popular, because I would rather be right than popular.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: aye, yea

9

noun

Meaning 9

A person who voted against.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The vote is 4 in favor and 20 opposed; the nays have it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A denial; a refusal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To refuse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adverb

Meaning 12

not this merely but also; not only so but

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • each of us is peculiar, nay, in a sense unique

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a negative

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the nays have it

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: yea

Broader terms: negative

History

Etymology

From Middle English nai, nei, from Old Norse nei (“no”), contraction of ne (“not”) + ei (“ever”), itself from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *nē (“not”). More at no. The verb is from Middle English nayen (“to refuse, deny, gainsay”), from the interjection and adverb above.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بَل (bal) — or rather
  • Danish: eller snarere — or rather
  • French: ou plutôt — or rather
  • French: voire — or rather
  • French: que dis-je — or rather
  • German: ja — or rather
  • Italian: anzi — or rather
  • Italian: o per meglio dire — or rather
  • Japanese: もとい — or rather
  • Māori: ianei — or rather
  • Occitan: o puslèu — or rather
  • Occitan: o quitament — or rather
  • Polish: ba — or rather
  • Portuguese: ou mesmo — or rather
  • Russian: бо́лее того́ (bóleje tovó) — or rather
  • Russian: да́же (dáže) — or rather
  • Russian: нет (net) — or rather
  • Russian: ма́ло того́ (málo tovó) — or rather
  • Sicilian: anzi — or rather
  • Turkish: daha doğrusu — or rather
  • Vietnamese: nói đúng hơn — or rather
  • Ukrainian: проти (proty) — vote against