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
Frauds get exposed and championship contenders start to rise to the top and prove their worth, and 2026 is no different. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Even Amendment 85 — which would require all state and local ballot questions to be written at no higher than an eighth-grade reading level — scores at an 11th-grade reading level. — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
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 The committed officially adopted the plan — 26 yes, 1 no, 13 abstentions. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 28 Aug. 2026
Interjection
And again, the cycle is the same cycle as everything else in AI, and yet the market is saying, no, no, no, no. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 This is called Lo que el ojo no ve (What the eye does not see). — Pol Ballús, New York Times, 3 Oct. 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
  • Fitoussi said the project began almost as a joke, with the idea of casting one of France’s busiest actors as someone who never gets to act.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Her mother never graduated from high school and died at age 52 of ovarian cancer.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 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
  • The proposal out of Paris and Berlin would erect safeguards against those vetoes so the Commission could act faster.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • If that were to happen, experts predict that Hinojosa would use her veto power to stall much of the state legislature’s conservative agenda.
    — Chantelle Lee, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of veto
Noun
  • There are many legitimate reasons to bash Becerra, from his refusal to participate in more debates to his paltry number of public rallies to a platform that sounds like more of what created California’s current woes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, Swifties saw Swift and Alwyn’s refusal to make joint public appearances as a red flag.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 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
  • Gowanus is hardly the only postindustrial New York neighborhood rife with toxic waste — in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, the extent of toxic contamination is still being uncovered and mitigated in an ad hoc fashion.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Delivered in 2003, Octopus hardly skimped on luxury, with a spa, 15-seat cinema, and glass-bottom pool.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 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
  • In her rejection of stereotypically female fashion and her flair for the dramatic, Sanjak definitely would have fit in at Le Monocle.
    — Gaby Iori October 7, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In April, Americans for Financial Reform’s Education Fund released a study stating that the bank’s mortgage rejection rates for minorities in Charlotte and North Carolina far outpaced those of white applicants.
    — Chase Jordan October 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 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 13 Oct. 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 abscond

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All