no 1 of 4

adverb

ˈnō How to pronounce no (audio)
Definition of nonext
1
as in never
not in any degree, way, or under any condition this cake is no better than the last one we made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in none
certainly not in no uncertain terms we were told to leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

no

2 of 4

noun

ˈnō How to pronounce no (audio)
1
as in veto
a vote or decision against something though I wanted spaghetti for dinner, the consensus was a decisive no

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in refusal
an unwillingness to grant something asked for gave him a polite no when he asked her to dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

no

3 of 4

interjection

as in oh
how surprising, doubtful, or unbelievable no—you can't possibly mean that I failed that test! I studied for days!

Synonyms & Similar Words

no

4 of 4

adjective

as in neither

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 no
Adverb
Leaving them unanswered is no different from letting a potential client walk out the door without a word. — Tonia Ryan, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026 The hospitals and doctors who deliver healthcare would be allowed to set prices high enough to earn their budget — but no higher. — Merrill Goozner, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
Proposition 41, which is pitched as a government transparency measure requiring auditor approval for new tax proposals but would nullify the billionaire tax, carried 51% of voters in the poll, against 44% no and 5% undecided. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Suspicious emails and texts show up constantly, and most spam filters only give a yes-or-no answer without explaining why. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 13 Sep. 2026
Interjection
When asked by a Starmus VIII attendee whether people needed to undergo something extraordinary to develop a greater sense of kindness toward others, his answer was no. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2026 This was another measure where voters received a clear message, including from governor-elect Xavier Becerra, who urged Californians to vote no, Baldassare said. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Adjective
The Southern Baptists have been debating for decades whether women can have any position of leadership, and generally their answer has been no. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 11 June 2026 These healthy no-bake desserts fit perfectly into your lifestyle without heating up your home. — Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for no
Recent Examples of Synonyms for no
  1. never
  2. none
  3. veto
  4. refusal
  5. oh
  6. hardly
  7. nay
  8. rejection
Adverb
  • Its epic-length bookends transposed the funereal aims of Bell Witch’s modern doom masterpiece Mirror Reaper to Floydian realms, while its gentler, more meditative midsection never completely renounced the artists’ metal roots.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Perhaps never before in midterm contests has the electorate waved such a huge middle finger at a president and his craven enablers, otherwise known as Republicans.
    — Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of never
Adverb
  • Among the historic attractions dotting Route 66, there may be none more hapless and ill fated as the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • Several artists will compete across genre categories, and there may be none more varied than Turnstile.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of none
Noun
  • In the past two elections for governor, Pritzker used the morning after his victory to talk about the fall veto session in Springfield or the transition plan into a new term.
    — Chris Tye, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Ford has pledged to bring back bills outgoing Lombardo killed in his record-breaking vetoes, including limiting the number of homes large corporations can buy and giving the state the power to adopt Medicaid negotiated prescription drug prices.
    — Lucia Starbuck, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of veto
Noun
  • Madrid, a lifelong Republican, voted for Becerra because of GOP candidate Steve Hilton’s refusal to denounce MAGA.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked Norton about the state's refusal to exempt Catholic preschools.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of refusal
Interjection
  • Certain movements may aggravate the pain, such as, oh, swinging a golf club.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Some people think, oh, the show’s about true romance, true love conquering it all.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 June 2026
Definition of oh
Adverb
  • At a $4 million buy-in and seven-figure annual fee, access hardly comes cheap.
    — Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2026
  • His 22 points were hardly expendable, and Fernández had good reason to call his number.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of hardly
Noun
  • At its core, Dark Matter is a series about the folly and hubris of humankind, even when — nay, especially when — idealists have the power to achieve transformative change.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Al Khafaji’s nay-sayers weren’t wrong to be skeptical about the construction space.
    — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Definition of nay
Noun
  • Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast, with many surprising places in between, in a decisive rejection of unified GOP control for the promise of something different for the country.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The Democratic wins in Texas and rejection of data centers in ballots across the country are expected to create hurdles for data center plays.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of rejection

Phrases Containing no

Browse Nearby Words

nixing
no
no-account
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“No.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/no. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All