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

Verb

• decline
• deny
• disallow
• disapprove
• negative
• refuse
• reject
• reprobate
• withhold

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

Hunters used to pursue lions in April as well, but the agency nixed that season earlier this year. —Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024

Certification delays, however, might nix that dream. —Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024

If magnet school bus transportation is nixed, the Louisville NAACP will withdraw its support of the new student assignment plan, Cunningham said. —Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 21 Mar. 2024

Now, according to Lemon, Musk has nixed the partnership — coming just a few hours after Lemon interviewed the tech mogul last week. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024

However, in 2018, that idea was nixed, Karen Battle, chief of the bureau’s population division, said at the time. —Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024

Most were obsolete animal insulins, but the paper said 16 human insulins and 13 analogs, or synthetic insulins meant to mimic the release of human insulin, also have been nixed. —Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024

In the planning stages, a restaurant and shopping area were also part of the design, but developers and residents decided to nix that plan to ensure the community remained insulated from too many people and cars. —Barbara Ruben, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

Waring frequently critiques the city's homeless programs and recently suggested nixing the Heat Office to weather financial headwinds projected in future budgets. —Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024

Noun

Notorious examples of wasteful spending led Congress to nix earmarks in 2011. —Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024

While many rival firms have committees outside China that approve or nix investments there, Sequoia China has been one of the few with its partners making their own on-the-ground decisions. —Lulu Yilun Chen, Bloomberg.com, 6 June 2023

Jackson Browne has recovered from the illness that forced him to nix shows in Melbourne and Sydney. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 20 Apr. 2023

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