nay-say

noun

A refusal, denial, or negation.

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Meanings

nounnay-say (plural nay-says)

plural nay-says · alternative naysay

  1. datedA refusal, denial, or negation.

    "That," replied Miss Lucy, "depends entirely on the manner in which the nay-says are said."

    1816, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 5, in The Black Dwarf
verbnay-say (third-person singular simple present nay-says, present participle nay-saying, simple past and past participle nay-said)

present singular third person nay-says · participle present nay-saying · participle past nay-said · past nay-said · alternative naysay

  1. transitiveTo refuse, deny, or oppose someone or something.
  2. intransitiveTo speak negatively of something.
Cite this entry
APA

nay-say. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nay-say

MLA

“nay-say.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nay-say. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nay-say,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nay-say.

Source: nay-say on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.