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not

not

1.0
To show that a word, sentence, or idea is false
  • particle
  • /nɑt/
translation icon : no
  • You are not allowed to enter without a ticket.
  • not only
  • not necessarily
  • not just

Right now, and Russia is not a small threat.

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Examples

  • The structural trends affecting the U.S. economy cannot be explained by changes in technology alone.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And so, you know, this is not a bluff.

  • And there are things we're not seeing, Right.

  • Right now, and Russia is not a small threat.

  • And if it's not OK, it's not the end.

  • Is there nothing you would not consider a game, sir?

  • I told you... I'm not a kid anymore.

  • So I'm mad, but I'm not that mad.

  • So, in the end, it's not really anyone's fault.

  • While soldiers received military pay, most did not live on just their meager army income.

    Academic text (2011)

Idioms

did not
  • Informal
1.0

A short strong reply that says something is not true

896 2.4

Say yes to an idea or suggestion because there is no good reason not to

465 3.7

Shows that something is even more important than what was just said

344 2.9

Saying something may be even more true than first said

331 1.0

In no way

not bad
  • Informal
134 3.0

Better than expected and quite good

52 2.6

Happens most of the time

Not allowed by rules and not good enough for standards

not so fast
  • Informal
42 5.8

Tell someone to slow down when they act too quickly

who should not
  • Informal
32 9.9

You say this after praising yourself to seem modest or unsure

Introduce the last person or thing and show they are equally important

24 8.3

A phrase that shows the next thing you say is honest

Not at all, not even a little bit

20 4.4

Say this before a surprising fact that is hard to accept

19 7.9

Showing a particular quality very strongly

not half bad
  • Informal
14 7.4

Better than you expected

8 5.0

Not sleep at all during the night

To not be able to think clearly because you are very tired, angry, or confused

5 9.1

Showing poor judgment or not thinking clearly

Likely to die or stop existing soon

not an ounce of
  • Informal
3 4.9

There is not even a tiny bit of something

Feeling a little unwell and not your usual self

Almost nothing of value

Able to get better after a setback

1 7.7

A real emergency, not a practice or test

1 9.9

Unfair behaviour that breaks accepted rules or standards

not hardly
  • Informal
1 8.8

Not true at all

1 9.6

Used to describe something very different from older versions and much more modern

1 4.8

A long process that needs steady effort, not quick work

1 6.7

To never do something, no matter what happens

1 9.9

Experienced and not new to a task or situation

not worth a dime
  • Informal
1 6.2

Of no value or use

1 8.7

Prepared while someone speaks the words and not checked by the writer, often containing mistakes

1 9.9

So flawed and unclear that people cannot decide if it is true or false

1 9.6

Saying this shows you are serious and not joking

1 9.9

You are in a situation that feels strange and very different from what is usual

1 9.6

Has no value and is useless to anyone

A person who is not very quick to understand things

Use things carefully so you do not run out later

A joking way to show someone refuses to accept the truth

8.1

Not easy to find or get

do not pass go
  • Informal
9.1

To refuse someone any further chance and make them leave immediately

A slogan saying relationships should be only between a man and a woman, often used to oppose same-sex marriage

To refuse something by joking that you already did it

Saying a software problem is made on purpose, often as a joke

A phrase that says you should not use another culture's clothes or symbols as a costume

not a bit of it
  • Informal
8.1

Not true at all

not a farthing
  • Archaic
9.9

No money at all

5.9

Happens just in time before it is too late

Not true at all

not collect $200
  • Informal
9.8

You cannot get money or a reward you expected

7.2

An unpleasant scene that shocks people

Compounds

7.3

A person who has little money and few things

not guilty
  • Formal
264 3.2

A court or jury finds someone did not commit the crime they were charged with

An organization that does not aim to make money and helps the community

A small plant with bright blue or white flowers that comes back every year

touch-me-not
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A plant with seed pods that burst when you touch them and release seeds

cape forget-me-not
  • South African
8.9

A plant from southern Africa with bright blue flowers often grown in gardens

A small plant that lives for two years and makes bright blue flowers

A small plant often grown in gardens with tiny blue, purple, or white flowers

touch-me-not
  • Specialized
9.5

A plant with leaves that fold together when you touch them

A joking name for a woman whose real name people avoid saying

Surface Forms

not main

Etymology

Not comes from old English negative words and became a short form of no used inside a sentence to deny or refuse something. So, not means 'no' or 'not this', which is why we use it to make a word or sentence negative.