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
-
There is still a lot more to come from Thiaw, but the early signs are very promising indeed.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The real-life Hartley did indeed disappear from La Crosse County in 1954, more than two hours from Gein's home in Waushara County.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And Hamas may well come back with a simple no.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
-
When Jason Wald, VP of production, pitched him on Longlegs with a two-minute clip, his instinct was to give the film a hard no.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Other African leaders would have terms either too short, broken by coups or assassinations, or too long, extended by a refusal to leave office; Nkrumah’s tenure somehow managed both.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Given no choice, María Ángeles acquiesces to her daughter’s wishes and moves into the seniors’ home, where a hilarious exchange with a hairdresser wanting to chop off her long silver tresses typifies her iron-willed refusal to settle in.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
While that’s certainly true, many moviegoers don’t seem to be connecting with Smashing Machine thus far, based on the worrisome B- CinemaScore (for an adult drama, that’s like receiving a C).—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Oct. 2025
-
In many small Southern towns, and some cities too, that certainly applies to the local hot dog shop.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ohio House Republicans voted to override this particular veto in July.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The measure—authored by State Senator Scott Wiener—follows last year’s veto of a stricter bill that was roundly opposed by Silicon Valley heavyweights and AI companies.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But those early rejections didn’t destroy their confidence.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
-
This over-enthusiasm can backfire, leading to rejection.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The hardworking forward will surely be heard from in Vancouver at some point this season.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Still, that history is surely not like ours.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For Avraham Burg, an author and former speaker of Israel’s parliament who has become a prominent critic, what lies behind this state of denial in many Jewish Israelis goes far beyond media influence.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
-
After weeks of obfuscation and denial, the Chinese government suddenly shut down the city of Wuhan and surrounding regions to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nay. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share