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
Erin Doherty, CNBC, 30 June 2025
Also, unlike the debate over eight vs. nine conference games, the play-in weekend doesn’t have a set of yeas and nays.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 16 May 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
Even so, that only added up to 49 yay votes, versus 51 nays from the rest of the GOP conference, meaning the amendment failed.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 30 June 2025
Also, unlike the debate over eight vs. nine conference games, the play-in weekend doesn’t have a set of yeas and nays.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nay
Adverb
-
The most notable failure of the Nigerian government is that successive administrations have in over a decade and a half been unable to end the scourge of Boko Haram and other Islamist or related terrorist groups that have indeed killed thousands of Christians.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The writer son makes metaphors out of the garden—indeed, out of the very idea of the garden-as-metaphor—while the father, who told great stories but was entirely unliterary, made a garden out of the earth.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
So, put me down as a hard no on breaking.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Each yes is a no to something else.—
Arianna Huffington,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nat was fascinated by that refusal of categories.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Recently, Maine passed a law that gives park residents a right of first refusal if their park is up for sale.—
Cassie Powell,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
But, in his first game back from a knee sprain, Bichette certainly didn’t look comfortable doing it.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Kansas redshirt-sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson certainly showed Friday he’s recovered from patellar tendon surgery that forced him to redshirt the 2024-25 campaign.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of Assembly Bill 255 makes stories like Michelle’s almost impossible to repeat within the state’s homelessness system.—
Michele Steeb,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Trump would likely veto it, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the veto.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in for a second term despite deadly protests and a rejection of the election results from the country’s main opposition party in a vote that barred key opponents from running.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
That news surely will boost ticket sales for the under-construction Miami Freedom Park Stadium, which is where the team will play home games starting in 2026.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
While a dog can be bribed with a squeaky toy and a pig would surely look at the camera when enticed with a sausage on a stick, cats are known for their admirably self-serving demeanors.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The denial letter said Farzam was convicted of making a false statement to the DMV and a registration violation.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Fuentes has espoused Holocaust denial and white nationalist ideology.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nay. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share