nay


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nay

refusal; denial; negative vote
Not to be confused with:
neigh – high-pitched sound made by a horse
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

nay

 (nā)
adv.
1. No: All but four Democrats voted nay.
2. And moreover: He was ill-favored, nay, hideous.
n.
1. A denial or refusal.
2. A negative vote or voter.
[Middle English, from Old Norse nei : ne, not; see ne in Indo-European roots + ei, ever; see aiw- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

nay

(neɪ)
sentence substitute
chiefly archaic or dialect an archaic or dialect (except in voting by voice) word for no1
n
a. a person who votes in the negative
b. a negative vote
adv
(sentence modifier) archaic an emphatic form of no1
[C12: from Old Norse nei, from ne not + ei ever, ay1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

nay

(neɪ)

adv.
1. and not only so but; not only that but also; indeed: many good, nay, noble qualities.
2. Archaic. no (used in dissent, denial, or refusal).
n.
3. a denial or refusal.
4. a negative vote or voter.
[1125–75; Middle English nai, nei < Old Norse nei no]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.nay - a negative; "the nays have it"
negative - a reply of denial; "he answered in the negative"
yea - an affirmative; "The yeas have it"
Adv.1.nay - not this merely but also; not only so but; "each of us is peculiar, nay, in a sense unique"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

nay

adverb indeed, actually, in fact, and even, or rather, in truth Long essays, nay, whole books have been written on this.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

nay

adverb
Not so:
no, nix.
Informal: nope.
Idiom: nothing doing.
noun
1. A negative response:
no, refusal, rejection.
2. A negative vote or voter:
no.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
nonou plutôt

nay

[neɪ]
A. ADV (archaic or liter) (= no) → no; (= or rather) → más aún, mejor dicho
bad, nay terrible → malo, mejor dicho horrible
dozens, nay hundreds → docenas, más aún centenares
B. N (= refusal) → negativa f; (in voting) → voto m negativo, voto m en contra
to say sb nay → indicar lo contrario a algn
see also yea
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

nay

adv
(obs, dial) → nein
(liter) surprised, nay astonished → überrascht, nein vielmehr verblüfft
n → Nein nt, → Neinstimme f ? yea
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

nay

[neɪ] adv (old) (no) → no
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
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References in classic literature ?
Jones was become perfectly easy by possession of this secret with regard to Molly; but as to Sophia, he was far from being in a state of tranquillity; nay, indeed, he was under the most violent perturbation; his heart was now, if I may use the metaphor, entirely evacuated, and Sophia took absolute possession of it.
This conflict began soon to produce very strong and visible effects: for he lost all his usual sprightliness and gaiety of temper, and became not only melancholy when alone, but dejected and absent in company; nay, if ever he put on a forced mirth, to comply with Mr Western's humour, the constraint appeared so plain, that he seemed to have been giving the strongest evidence of what he endeavoured to conceal by such ostentation.
It may, perhaps, be a question, whether the art which he used to conceal his passion, or the means which honest nature employed to reveal it, betrayed him most: for while art made him more than ever reserved to Sophia, and forbad him to address any of his discourse to her, nay, to avoid meeting her eyes, with the utmost caution; nature was no less busy in counterplotting him.
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"Nay, I had other things upon my mind," the squire answered.
"Nay, they sat tway and tway at a board, him that they call Aylward and the great red-headed man who snapped the Norman's arm-bone, and the black man from Norwich, and a score of others, rattling their dice in an archer's gauntlet for want of a box.
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A strange thing, that that part of an orator, which is but superficial, and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed so high, above those other noble parts, of invention, elocution, and the rest; nay, almost alone, as if it were all in all.
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"Nay, but it's often full o' drink, and that's worse."
"Nay, nay, Addy, thee mustna say as anybody's religion's like thick ale.
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"Nay, nay, my little Fish," said the Fisher, "I have you now.
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"Nay," quoth the Tinker, shaking his head slowly from side to side.
"Nay, nay," said the messenger, "no man is there in Nottinghamshire could make thee go against thy will, thou brave fellow."
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Nay, you MUST not go--it is impossible, it is sheerly, it is utterly, impossible.
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