nix

1 of 4

verb

ˈniks 

nixed; nixing; nixes

transitive verb

US, informal

: to refuse to accept or allow (something) : veto, reject

The court nixed the merger.

Many of Paris's newest hangouts are nixing gilded French style in favor of white walls, psychedelia and menus of tuna carpaccio and Parmesan-arugula salad.

—Jane Sigal

Prince has cited artistic factors for nixing the reunion.

—Chris Willman

nix

2 of 4

adverb

: no

—used to express disagreement or the withholding of permission

—often used with on

they said nix on our plan

nix

3 of 4

noun (1)

: nothing

There's a whole day's work for nix.

nix

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a water sprite of Germanic folklore

Synonyms of nix

Verb

• refuse
• reject
• deny
• decline

Examples of nix in a Sentence

Verb

our supervisor nixed my request to work from home, if only on a trial basis

movie audiences have effectively nixed the idea of the reviving the old-fashioned western by emphatically ignoring this latest effort

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Flagship publication the Sacramento Bee nixed six of 39 union journalists, a 15% cut that eliminated the sports desk, including a long-serving, beloved high school sports reporter. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

After the restaurant chain nixed its signature yellow color, items were sold in red and white containers with the company logo affixed to them. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Noun

Pro-Israel groups denounced Macklemore, with the Israeli American Council launching a petition demanding Sheeran nix him from the rest of the tour. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

To contrast the wood exterior, each drawer is painted in a matte, burgundy and nix hardware to maintain a sleek appearance. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Adverb

German nichts nothing

Noun (2)

German, from Old High German nihhus; akin to Old English nicor water monster and perhaps to Greek nizein to wash

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1903, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1862, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1789, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nix

• bricks
• brix
• chicks
• clicks
• cliques
• dicks
• fix
• flicks
• kicks
• knicks
• licks
• mix