1
old-fashioned + literary
—used to correct what has just been said by replacing a word with one that is more accurate or appropriate
The letter made him happy, nay, ecstatic.
Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man—very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.—
Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë… bodies of work that have shown themselves to be crucial to an understanding of the art—nay, the culture—of our times.—Carter Ratcliff
Carter Ratcliff2
old-fashioned
: no
Only one councillor voted nay on the proposal.
I dare not say him nay. [=I dare not say no to him]
… he was young and too good-natured to say nay to any woman who wooed him.—Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler"Gold digging, sir?" "Nay, sir," answered I, starting, "I was merely—ahem!—merely—I say I was merely digging-round my chimney."—Herman Melville
Herman MelvilleSynonyms
Examples of nay in a Sentence
Adverb
Nay, I do not wish to go.
I was angry—nay, furious—at the way they were treating that poor dog.
Noun
when the votes were tallied, it was 241 yeas and 54 nays
gave a resounding nay to the request for a mixed-company camping trip
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2012
So, coming live from my Van Down By the River, Old Prospector's pickaxe in my right hand, Cowbell in my left, Opera Man wig on my head, El Nino thundering away above it, here are the eight footballers who could, nay should, host SNL.
—SI.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 May 2024
Griswold, the former tax-avoidance specialist, gives a big nay.
—Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nay 
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Adverb
And journalists who actually do their jobs are nay-saying trouble-makers who have the temerity to not rely on press releases.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2012
So, coming live from my Van Down By the River, Old Prospector's pickaxe in my right hand, Cowbell in my left, Opera Man wig on my head, El Nino thundering away above it, here are the eight footballers who could, nay should, host SNL.
—SI.com, 9 Oct. 2019
Noun
As late as 1997, Roger Ferguson and Ed Gramlich, Democrat Bill Clinton nominees to the Fed, were confirmed by voice vote with no nays heard.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 May 2024
Griswold, the former tax-avoidance specialist, gives a big nay.
—Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nay
Dictionary Entries Near nay
Cite this Entry
“Nay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nay. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nay
1 of 2 adverb2
: not merely this but also : not only so but
the letter made him happy, nay, ecstatic
nay
2 of 2 noun1
2
a
: a negative reply or vote
b
: one who votes no
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