NAYS Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

nays

noun

plural of nay

as in noes

a vote or decision against something when the votes were tallied, it was 241 yeas and 54 nays

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in refusals

an unwillingness to grant something asked for gave a resounding nay to the request for a mixed-company camping trip

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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 nays And on July 2, after the arrival of British forces in New York lent the proceedings new urgency, Congress did, in fact, declare independence—with a vote of 12 yeas, 0 nays, and 1 abstention. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026 With Cornyn not on the floor, the vote for more than 25 minutes was stuck at 56 ayes and 40 nays, with three other GOP senators, Rick Scott of Florida, Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson and Mike Lee of Utah, not voting, for unclear reasons. — Emily Wilkins,dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the decision following an endorsement from the Chamber of Deputies and a Senate vote that saw 76 ayes, five nays and 35 abstentions. — Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nays

Noun

Near daybreak, when the Senate did call for the vote to adjourn, Lee and others objected with hearty nos.

— Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
While that effort went down with a wider margin, 84 nos and 17 yeses, a dozen Republicans supported it, revealing the extent of unease over the issue within the Senate GOP conference.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Definition of noes

Noun

The vetoes came on what was the final day the governor could sign or reject bills that passed in the Legislature this year.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a large industry trade group, did not respond to a request for comment on the vetoes, but voiced support for Allen’s non-renewal bill.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of vetoes

Noun

Meanwhile, Stallone endured an avalanche of rejections from agents who felt his slurry speech and asymmetrical mouth were liabilities — the very traits, of course, that would mark him as an original in a few short years.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
The connection to ego may help explain why rejections are so painful, even for people who had already been contemplating ending their relationship—but then their partner beat them to the punch.

— George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of rejections

Noun

Brushing aside his denials, deputies charged the father of two young children with using the internet to try to entice a 13-year-old girl to have sex with him.

— Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
On Friday, Yabloko’s leader appealed to Ella Pamfilova, head of the Central Election Commission, over what the party said were numerous denials of entry to its observers and pressure on them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of denials

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nay

nays

naysayer

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“Nays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nays. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nays

noun

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