Synonyms

not

¹ American

[not] / nɒt /

adverb

(used to express negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition).

You must not do that. It's not far from here.
U.S. Slang. (used jocularly as a postpositive interjection to indicate that a previous statement is untrue).

I just love working overtime without pay. Not!

idioms

not so much, (an expression of dismissive scorn, ambivalence, or skepticism).

Attractive? Yes. Smart? Not so much.
Is the world coming to an end? Yeah, not so much.

NOT ² American

[not] / nɒt /

noun

a Boolean operator that returns a positive result if its operand is negative and a negative result if its operand is positive.

not- ³ American

variant of noto- before a vowel.

not ¹ British

/ nɒt /

adverb

1. used to negate the sentence, phrase, or word that it modifies
  
  I will not stand for it
2. ( in combination )
  
  they cannot go
Also (archaic): not but what. (conjunction) which is not to say or suppose that

I expect to lose the game — not that I mind

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

used to indicate denial, negation, or refusal

certainly not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

not- ² British

combining form

a variant of noto-

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

not More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing not

(not a) Chinaman's chance
(not to) sneeze at
(not) all there
(not) at all
(not) in the least
(not) in the mood
(not) move a muscle
(not) take no for an answer
(not) the half of it
(not) turn a hair
all that glitters is not gold
believe it or not
can't
caught dead, not be
coming or going, not know if
couldn't
do as I say (not as I do)
game is not worth the candle
heart (not) in it
hold one's breath, not
it's (not) your funeral
last but not least
like as not
living soul, not a
mince matters, not to
more often than not
no problem (not to worry)
two wrongs do not make a right
waste not, want not
whether or not
without a (not a) leg to stand on
won't (will not) hear of
wouldn't

Etymology

Origin of not

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; weak variant of nought

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the ceremony was not only about honoring Black excellence in entertainment.

From Los Angeles Times

Like Clarity, Amplify is not a charity but a social enterprise.

From BBC

But it has not been able to independently verify the death toll - international news organisations are often refused visas to Iran which severely limits their ability to gather information there.

From BBC

Speaking on the red carpet, pop star Self Esteem declared she was not going to win the only category in which she was nominated: Artist of the year.

From BBC

He added later: "We're not going to put up with it any longer."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023