as in indeed
not merely this but also
I was angry—nay, furious—at the way they were treating that poor dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in refusal
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
gave a resounding nay to the request for a mixed-company camping trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nay
SI.com, 9 Oct. 2019
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
Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
All this despite the nay-saying of classic-car purists.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nay
Adverb
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
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
Noun
Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, the other nay vote, suggested the council adopt changes to the agreed upon issues while the members who proposed the item, Wilson and Jimenez, work through sticking points on the body camera footage with the chief.
—Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
All this despite the nay-saying of classic-car purists.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nay
Adverb
-
And indeed, the company, which enlisted New York’s Rockwell Group to spearhead the design, found a wealth of like-minded local collaborators ideal for realizing its vision.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
This time around, films with the best shot at some Oscar love are indeed the Palme d’Or winner, Fjord, which is the first English language film for Mungiu, although there is some Romanian, Norwegian and Swedish dialogue as well.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
There's no, 'Hey, run back to the helo.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
-
There's a strict no-dogs, no-alcohol policy, and visitors should be aware that the parking lot fills early on summer weekends.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
But Israel tops all concerns for some leftists, so Greene’s reversal on the issue is enough to win their support, and AOC’s refusal to embrace her is seen as a counterproductive purity test.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
In April, the museum turned down the Guggenheim Bilbao’s request to borrow Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, one of the key jewels in its collection, prompting Basque officials to seek meetings with Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, to determine whether the refusal could be overridden.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
With rooms ranging from 910 to 2,100 square feet, there’s plenty of room to stretch your legs, and the private walk-out balconies beholding all of the Strip certainly don’t hurt.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, Adam Aznou is yet to convince Moyes since joining from Bayern Munich last summer — the 19-year-old Morocco international is yet to feature in a Premier League game for Everton — and cover will almost certainly be sought at left-back.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
The bill is now on the governor's desk, awaiting a signature or veto.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
There are currently four vacant seats on the court, but they cannot be filled, because the government has retained a veto until the new law kicks in, after the elections.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The part purportedly written by Vazquez mentions years of ridicule and rejection — one of the few full sentences of his written in all caps.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Republicans hailed the rejection of the gas tax increase after it was trounced by voters.—
Claire Rush,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Adverb
-
Often, Aleksi would put forth an outrageous idea—that there was no such thing as consciousness, that the many-worlds interpretation was surely true, thereby throwing into question any notion of a self—and Mete and Defne would come together in opposition.—
Ayşegül Savaş,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
-
Johnston carries the film and the emotional core, but Navarrette delivers the kind of instant classic horror performance that will surely traumatize Gen Z for years.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Asylum denial rates have soared as the administration has fired almost 100 judges deemed to be too liberal, and approved using hundreds of military lawyers to replace them.—
Olga R. Rodriguez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
Algorithmic care denials in health insurance, where AI systems generate denials of medically necessary services at an industrial scale.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nay. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
