no

adverb \ ˈnō \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

1 a chiefly Scotland : not

b —used as a function word to express the negative of an alternative choice or possibility

shall we go out to dinner or no

2 : in no respect or degree —used in comparisons

you're no better than the rest of us

3 : not so —used to express negation, dissent, denial, or refusal

no, I'm not going

4 —used with a following adjective to imply a meaning expressed by the opposite positive statement

in no uncertain terms

5 —used as a function word to emphasize a following negative or to introduce a more emphatic, explicit, or comprehensive statement

it's big, no, it's gigantic

6 —used as an interjection to express surprise, doubt, or incredulity

7 —used in combination with a verb to form a compound adjective

no-bake pie

8 : in negation

shook his head no

See no defined for English-language learners

See no defined for kids

Examples of no in a Sentence

She shook her head no.
this cake is no better than the last one we made

Recent Examples of no from the Web

Since 2011, seven players drafted by the Browns in the first round are no longer with the team.

— tom withers, The Seattle Times, "Last move: Browns trade disappointing OL Erving to Chiefs," 30 Aug. 2017
The pill drop box is there for people to safely dispose of medicines such as pain killers that are no longer needed.

— jane ford-stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "West Allis police find jewelry in pill drop box in station lobby, now looking for owner," 30 Aug. 2017
Shortly after, Naked Lounge coffee shop announced it would no longer host live music.

— matt kawahara, sacbee, "Hear that? Sacramento has the nation’s fastest-growing live music scene, report says," 30 Aug. 2017
The smoked ham is no longer served in communal kitchens.

— jay jones, chicagotribune.com, "Turn back the clock and spend quality time in Iowa's Amana Colonies," 30 Aug. 2017
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Joe Haden is no longer a member of the Cleveland Browns.

— dan labbe, cleveland.com, "Was releasing Joe Haden the right move? Orange and Brown Talk podcast," 30 Aug. 2017
Heavy rain will no longer fall in Texas's Houston and Galveston areas, although massive flooding is expected across the area and in southwestern Louisiana through the end of the week.

— mahita gajanan, Time, "Where Is Hurricane Harvey Headed Next?," 30 Aug. 2017
The tweets said there was no room in the ranks for transgender troops and that the government would no longer pay for their medical treatment.

— tom vanden brook, The Courier-Journal, "Mattis freezes transgender policy; allows troops to continue serving, pending study," 29 Aug. 2017
The president said his pardon was no more controversial than other presidents.

— latimes.com, "Trump on Texas response: 'We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished'," 29 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'no.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of no

Middle English, from Old English nā, from ne not + ā always; akin to Old Norse & Old High German ne not, Latin ne-, Greek nē- — more at aye

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

no Synonyms

Phrases

by no means, nothing doing, on no account;

no

adjective

1 a : not any

no parking

no disputing the decision

b : hardly any : very little

finished in no time

2 : not a : quite other than a

he's no expert

3 —used in combination with a noun to form a compound adjective

a no-nonsense realist

See no defined for English-language learners

Examples of no in a Sentence

She said she had no money.
I wanted no part of the plan.
They showed no concern for my feelings.
people with little or no experience with computers

Recent Examples of no from the Web

He is currently being held at Mobile County Metro Jail under a no bond order.

— prescotte stokes iii, AL.com, "Man with altered rifle, dozens of Xanax bars arrested in Chickasaw," 21 Aug. 2017
FREELAND NARROWLY MISSES A NO-HITTER The rookie Kyle Freeland came within two outs of the first no-hitter by a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field before surrendering a sharp single to Melky Cabrera, and Colorado pummeled the Chicago White Sox, 10-0.

— the associated press, New York Times, "Astros Reach 60 Victories by Crushing the Blue Jays," 10 July 2017
The NO column: Never take off your shoes on an airplane.

— ellen warren, chicagotribune.com, "Put your shoes back on, now. Answer Angel lays down the law for airline travel," 3 July 2017
Of course, she's viewed as a top-tier candidate by both Republicans and Democrats, and her candidacy is viewed as one reason why Dean Heller may eventually be a no vote on this bill.

— john king, CNN, "Why the White House has two press teams," 25 June 2017
Read More undefined With an investor on board, L.A. Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, the Beckham group is ready to buy the county land for $9 million under a no-bid deal using the state’s economic-development laws.

— douglas hanks and martin vassolo, sacbee, "David Beckham group unveils new Miami stadium plan," 18 May 2017
Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com With an investor on board, L.A. Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, the Beckham group is ready to buy the county land for $9 million under a no-bid deal using the state’s economic-development laws.

— douglas hanks and martin vassolo, miamiherald, "David Beckham group unveils new Miami stadium plan," 17 May 2017

First Known Use of no

12th century

no

noun \ ˈnō \

plural noes or nos play \ˈnōz\

1 : an act or instance of refusing or denying by the use of the word no : denial

received a firm no in reply

2 a : a negative vote or decision

b noes or nos plural : persons voting in the negative

See no defined for English-language learners

Examples of no in a Sentence

There were 110 ayes and only 16 noes.
The noes raised their hands.

Recent Examples of no from the Web

Cost to join: Free Since the drugstore is a go-to for great beauty products at amazing prices, signing up for the CVS Extra Care Beauty Club is almost a no-brainer.

— tiffany dodson, SELF, "9 Best Rewards Programs for Beauty Lovers," 6 Apr. 2018
The effort by the Smithsonian, called Walk-Up Wednesdays, aims to test the no-pass entry.

— kirsten korosec, Fortune, "African American History Museum Is Testing A New 'Old' Way To Visit," 4 Apr. 2018
The deputy issued a no-trespass order that forbade Adam from coming back for the rest of the season.

— christopher solomon, Outside Online, "The Boy Who Lived on Edges," 22 Mar. 2018
In a pair of recent papers, the scientists attack a pillar of black hole theory called the no-hair theorem.

— adrian cho, Science | AAAS, "Hawking’s final quest: saving quantum theory from black holes," 20 Mar. 2018
Also, while your pet droppings may seem kin to manure, this is also a no-go!

— adrienne holland, Country Living, "7 Things You Need to Know Before You Start Composting," 5 Mar. 2018
And just to make your heart hurt a little more, Mazdzer broke his personal no-long-distance rule just for her.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Twitter Is So Thirsty for Olympic Athlete Chris Mazdzer," 12 Feb. 2018
The recent transformation of the opposition leader from electoral no-hoper to plausible prime minister has got voters wondering how Mr Corbyn’s socialist ideals would translate to real-world policies.

— The Economist, "Labour’s plansPreston, Jeremy Corbyn’s model town," 19 Oct. 2017
In wake of those successes, CAI’s boys program is ranked 25th in the statewide coaches poll as of Monday, and the girls team entered the season ranked No. 3 in Indiana Runner’s small school rankings.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "How two cross country runners helped turn Christian Academy of Indiana into a state-level contender," 30 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of no

1598

no Synonyms

Synonyms

declination, denial, disallowance, nay, nonacceptance, refusal, rejection, turndown;

Antonyms

allowance, approval, grant, OK (or okay);

Near Antonyms

acceptance, accession, acquiescence, agreement, assent, authorization, clearance, concurrence, consent, leave, license (or licence), permission, sanction, sufferance;

imprimatur, seal, signature, stamp;

Related Words

rebuff, repudiation, repulse, spurn;

negative;

ban, injunction, veto;

deterrence, discouragement, repression, suppression;

no

abbreviation

1 north; northern

[Latin numero, ablative of numerus]

number

No

less common spelling of noh

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

No

symbol

nobelium

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

NO Defined for English Language Learners

no

adverb

—used to give a negative answer or reply to a question, request, or offer
: in a way that shows a negative response
—used to introduce a statement that corrects an earlier statement

no

adjective

: not any
—used to say that someone or something is not the kind of person or thing being described

no

noun

: a negative answer : an answer of no
: a vote of no
: people who are voting no

NO Defined for Kids

no

adverb \ nō \

1 : not at all : not any

It was no better than I expected it to be.

2 : not so —used to express disagreement or refusal

No, I'm not hungry.

3 —used to express surprise, doubt, or disbelief

No—you don't say!

no

adjective

1 : not any

He has no money.

2 : hardly any : very little

I finished in no time.

3 : not a

I'm no liar.

no

noun

plural noes or nos

1 : an act or instance of refusing or denying by the use of the word no : denial

I received a firm no in reply.

2 : a vote or decision against something

There were 100 ayes and only 12 noes.

3 noes or nos plural : persons voting against something

The noes raised their hands.

no.

abbreviation

1 north

2 number

Medical Dictionary

no

abbreviation

number

No

symbol

nobelium

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See words that rhyme with no Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for no Spanish Central: Translation of no Nglish: Translation of no for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of no for Arabic speakers

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Synonyms

Antonyms

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Phrases

no

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no

Examples of no in a Sentence

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no Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

no

No

Other Performing Arts Terms

No

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

NO Defined for English Language Learners

no

no

no

NO Defined for Kids

no

no

no

no.

Medical Dictionary

no

No

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