no

/noʊ/

/nəʊ/

Other forms: noes

No is the ultimate negative: it means "not any," or "not at all," and it's also used to express a generally negative response. If there's no milk for your cereal in the morning, there's not a drop left.

A sign in a school hallway that says "No running" means that it's absolutely not allowed. And, the response, "No, thanks" when you offer your friend half of your liverwurst sandwich means that she is really not interested. You might vote no on a special ballot question about extending school to Saturdays or exclaim, "Oh no!" to express disappointment when your team loses a big game. No comes from the Old English negative, na.

Definitions of no

1. adjective

   quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns for indicating a complete or almost complete lack or zero quantity of
   “we have no bananas”

   “no eggs left and no money to buy any”

   “have you no decency?”

   “did it with no help”

   “I'll get you there in no time”

   synonyms:

   nary

   (used with singular count nouns) colloquial for 'not a' or 'not one' or 'never a'

   none

   not any

   zero

   having no measurable or otherwise determinable value

   antonyms:

   some

   quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

   all

   quantifier; used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

   many

   a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `as' or `too' or `so' or `that'; amounting to a large but indefinite number

   few

   a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a'; a small but indefinite number

   any, whatever, whatsoever

   one or some or every or all without specification

   both

   (used with count nouns) two considered together; the two

   several

   (used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

   each

   (used of count nouns) every one considered individually

   every

   (used of count nouns) each and all of the members of a group considered singly and without exception

   every last

   (used as intensive) every

   every

   each and all of a series of entities or intervals as specified
2. adverb

   used to express refusal or denial or disagreement etc or especially to emphasize a negative statement
   “no, you are wrong”
3. adverb

   referring to the degree to which a certain quality is present
   “he was no heavier than a child”

   synonyms: no more
4. adverb

   not in any degree or manner; not at all
   “he is no better today”
5. noun

   a negative
   “his no was loud and clear”

   antonyms:

   yes

   an affirmative

   type of:

   negative

   a reply of denial