DictionaryAI

not

SayNOT/nɑt//nɒt/

7 meanings of not

Practice

  1. 1
    adverb
    Used to make a word or sentence mean the opposite, as in 'I do not know'.

    Think of it like a switch that turns the whole verb off.

    I did not take out the trash.

    She does not like coffee.

    UsagePut it after do, is or can: I don't know, she can't swim.

  2. 2
    contrastconjunction
    Means 'and not', used to say which of two things you mean.

    I asked for a small coffee, not a large one.

    Turn left, not right.

  3. 3
    mild oppositeadverb
    Used to say the opposite in a mild way, as in 'not my best day'.

    Getting stuck in traffic for two hours was not my idea of fun.

    He is not exactly a genius.

    UsageNot my idea of fun means you do not find something enjoyable, or would not enjoy it.

    Note
  4. 4
    replacing a sentenceadverb
    Used to stand for a whole negative sentence, after words like hope, think, and be afraid, or after if and or.

    "Is it going to rain?" "I hope not."

    Are you coming with us or not?

    UsageSay I hope not and I don't think so.

    Oppositeso

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    fed upadverb
    Said before a thing or person to show you are annoyed, upset, or surprised about it.

    Oh no, not that! Anything but that!

    Not the dentist again! I just went there last month.

    UsageOften used with again: Not the rain again!

  2. 6
    sarcasminterjectionslang
    Said after a sentence to show you meant the opposite, as a joke.

    I love doing homework on Saturdays… not!

    I just love waiting in line at the post office… not!

    Note
  3. 7
    the word itselfnouncountable
    A use of the word 'not', or a statement that something is not true.

    Take out that extra not, or the sentence will mean the opposite.

    Childhood was full of don'ts and nots.

    Similarnegation, negative

Practice

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Origin

From Old English words meaning "not anything" or "nothing," made from "ne" (not) plus a word for "anything."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  • Not derives from Old English forms meaning nothing or not anything. en.wiktionary.org
  • The ancestral formation combines ne, meaning not, with a word meaning anything. en.wiktionary.org