Nay
adj, adv, intj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A vote against.
"I vote nay, even though the motion is popular, because I would rather be right than popular."
- 2 used to express negation wordnet
- 3 A person who voted against.
"The vote is 4 in favor and 20 opposed; the nays have it."
- 4 A denial; a refusal. archaic
"And my povert' no wight nor can nor may Make comparison, it is no nay."
- 1 To refuse. obsolete
"the cardinall then being bishop of Winchester, tooke vpon him the state of cardinall, which was naied and denaied him, by the king of most noble memorie"
- 1 Nary; not any not-comparable, obsolete
"'Tis easy to do this experiment, though nay substance will do: we shall need a special one."
- 1 No. archaic, dialectal, not-comparable
"Duke Magnus, Duke Magnus, plight thee to me, I pray you still so freely; Say me not nay, but yes, yes!"
- 2 Introducing a statement, without direct negation. archaic, dialectal, not-comparable
"Nay, what are you smiling at so damnably?"
- 3 Or rather, or should I say; moreover (introducing a stronger and more appropriate expression than the preceding one). archaic, not-comparable
"His face was dirty, nay, filthy."
- 1 not this merely but also; not only so but wordnet
- 1 No. archaic
- 1 Abbreviation of Nayarit: a state of Mexico. abbreviation, alt-of
- 2 A surname.
Example
More examples"The chief object of education is not to learn things; nay, the chief object of education is to unlearn things."
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.