ain't

contraction

ˈānt 

variants also aint

1

informal : am not : are not : is not

You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter.

—Mark Twain

2

informal : have not : has not

They ain't left yet.

The poor dear's eyes could be cured, I ain't a doubt …

—Louisa May Alcott

3

a

African American English : did not

You ain't pick up the phone.

b

chiefly African American English

—used in negative constructions as an intensive

We ain't got no more.

Is ain't a word?: Usage Guide

Ain't has historically been widely disapproved as nonstandard, despite its appearance in the writings of authors such as Herman Melville and Louisa May Alcott. Nevertheless, it is flourishing in informal American English with the meanings "am/are/is not" and "have/has not."

It ain't time yet.

We ain't ready.

In African American English, ain't can also mean "did not."

They ain't ride the bus today.

And in African American English and several other English varieties it can also function as an intensive in negative constructions.

She ain't never lost a race.

Ain't is occasionally seen in journalistic prose,

… scientists already know for sure that wildfire smoke ain't good for respiratory health.

—Matt Simon

especially in a few fixed phrases.

With presidential primaries, it ain't over till it's over.

—Michelle Cottle

Examples of ain't in a Sentence

It's a free country, ain't it?

Those people ain't got a clue.

Her husband left and she ain't never been the same.

Word History

Etymology

contraction of are not

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ain't

• faint
• feint
• maint
• paint
• plaint
• quaint
• saint
• taint
• acquaint
• complaint
• constraint
• distraint

Kids Definition

ain't

(ˈ)ānt 

1

a

: are not

b

: is not

c

: am not

2

a

: have not

b

: has not

—used by many educated speakers and writers in certain set phrases (as "two out of three ain't bad" or "and that ain't hay") and to catch attention but more common in less educated speech