-'nt

A form of -n't — Negates the meaning of the clause in which it occurs.

Meanings

suffix
  1. obsoleteObsolete form of -n't.

    "And because you would'nt let him he doubled you up with a wallop in your dumpling-depot, did'nt he?"

    1846, George William MacArthur Reynolds, The Mysteries of London, volume 1, page 35
    3 more examples

    Hold your foolish Tongue, Mr. Metal, said she, and get you to-bed; have’nt I plague enough with this audacious Slut, do you think, without your meddling and making?

    1756, anonymous author, Emily; or, The History of a Natural Daughter, London: F. Noble & J. Noble, Volume I, Book III, p. 205

    To be sure! This will do! I shall be fain to think a summut of ee, now you can flamgudgin 'em a thisn. I did'nt a think it was innee. Why you will become a son of my own begettin. I write to tellee the good news, and that ee mightn't a kick down the milk. You have a sifflicated Sir Arthur. I could a told ee afore that you had a sifflicated Missee. But I was afeard as that you wur a too adasht. But I tellee it will do! Father's own lad! An ear-tickler! Ay, ay! That's the trade! Sugar the sauce, and it goes down glibly.

    1792, Thomas Holcroft, Anna St. Ives. a Novel

    That too would have been very handsomely done, if you had'nt handled catridge instead of shettin pan, but I suppose you want noticing.

    1811, “Militia Muster”, in The Baltimore Repertory of Papers on Literary and Other Topics […] , volume 2, Baltimore: Joseph Robinson, page 27
Cite this entry
APA

-'nt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-'nt

MLA

“-'nt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-'nt. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-'nt,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-'nt.

Source: -'nt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.