not

adverb

Definition of notnext
as in never
in no way or under no circumstances The food was so burnt that it was not edible.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for not
  1. never
  2. rarely
  3. seldom
Adverb
  • The snaps The Chiefs’ initial third down never stood a chance.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The data is verbal material for the identification of something more determinate that never quite arrives.
    — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of never
Adverb
  • Painter has overcome major turnovers before, and the Boilermakers rarely lose ground.
    — Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • John Turturro stars in the awards hopeful, which revolves around a pickpocket master who struggles to keep up with the changing times — phones are trackable, wallets rarely have cash and guns are hiding in plain sight.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of rarely
Adverb
  • Growing up in West Little River, Black Yacht Day cofounder Shakyra Chrysostome seldom went to the beach.
    — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • But defense lawyer Wada said they were seldom used when the detention was shorter than two weeks, leaving minors to face similar conditions to their adult counterparts.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of seldom
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.

Phrases Containing not

Browse Nearby Words

nosy
not
notabilities
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Not.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/not. Accessed 2 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 satiate

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'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 SCRABBLE Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

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
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All