mm-mm

negative/ˈm.m/negative[ˈ(ʔ)ḿ̩.ʔm̩̀]positive/mˈm/positive[(ʔ)m̩̀ˈʔḿ̩]

interjection

no

Opposite

Meanings

interjection

alternative mnh-mnh

  1. no

    “Mm-mm,” I mumble, shaking my head.

    2009, Michael Batdorf, Pair of Jacks: A Novel, →ISBN, page 112
    2 more examples

    "Need some help?" She shook her head. “Mm-mm.”

    2008, M.J. Fredrick, Where There's Smoke

    Mia cocked her head. “This is my fiancé's second wedding. He has a daughter. So I'm not sure if I should wear something . . . more second-wedding-ish? Like a white suit?” “Mm-mm.” Mia shook her head.

    2013, Allison Leotta, Speak of the Devil: A Novel, →ISBN, page 250
  2. yes

    < M01 > They were really very very hot on quality. < F01 > Mm. Mm. Yes .

    2010 April 5, Anne O'Keeffe, Michael McCarthy, The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Linguistics, Routledge, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    "Is the soda good, Princess?" her father asked. "Mm Mm," replied Sarah Louise. "She is a perfect little lady," thought Loo proudly

    2005, Penelope Dyan, The Silk Princess, Bellissima Publishing, LLC, →ISBN, page 234

    "Let me know if you need anything, all right ?" "Mm-mmm," she replied, looking down at the ground.

    2017 November 16, Dan Krzyzkowski, Critical Mass, iUniverse, →ISBN

    Synonyms: mhm, mm-hm

Synonyms & antonyms

interjectionyes

Similar
Similar
Opposite

Origin

Nasalized form of uh-uh (negative) or uh-huh (positive), ultimately onomatopoeic; see fuller etymology there. Compare um, hem (expression of hesitation).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: mm-mm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.