nay
/nei/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adverb:
- No; a negative vote or voter: Used to express denial, refusal, or a negative response, especially in formal voting.
- And more than that; indeed; in fact: Used to introduce a stronger or more accurate statement, often for emphasis or correction.
Noun:
- A negative vote or voter: A vote or person voting against a proposal.
Examples of Usage
- Adverb:
- When asked if he agreed, he said "nay." (Expressing a negative response.)
- The plan is unwise, nay, disastrous. (Introducing a stronger, correcting statement: not just unwise, but disastrous.)
- Noun:
- The motion was defeated by 50 nays to 30 ayes. (Referring to negative votes.)
- All the nays were recorded in the minutes. (Referring to the voters who said 'no'.)
Advanced Usage
- "The nays have it": A formal declaration meaning the negative votes are in the majority, and a proposal is defeated.
- After the vote, the chairperson announced, "The nays have it, the motion fails."
- "Say someone nay" (archaic): To refuse or forbid someone.
- The king would say nay to any request for mercy.
Variants and Related Words
- Aye (n, adv): The antonym, meaning 'yes' or a positive vote.
- The ayes outnumbered the nays.
- Denial (n): The action of declaring something untrue or refusing a request.
- Veto (n, v): A constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal.
Synonyms
- No (adv, n): A negative answer or decision.
- Negative (n): A word or statement expressing denial, refusal, or opposition.
- Indeed (adv, for the emphatic sense): Used to emphasize a statement or response.
Related Phrases
- Will not take nay: To refuse to accept a refusal; to be persistent.
- She wanted an answer and would not take nay.
Related Idioms
- Nay rather (archaic/literary): Used to correct or replace a previous statement with a more precise one.
- He was not just annoyed, nay rather, he was furious.
Adverb
- not this merely but also; not only so but
- each of us is peculiar, nay, in a sense unique
Noun
- a negative
- the nays have it