Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- Contraction of am not.
- Used also as a contraction for are not, is not, has not, and have not.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A vulgar contraction of the negative phrases am not and are not: often used for is not, and also, with a variant hain't, for have not and has not.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- possessive noun A contraction for
are not andam not ; also used foris not . [Colloq. or illiterate speech]. Seean't .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- phrase
are not ,aren’t ;is not,isn’t ;am not. - phrase dialectal, informal
have not,haven’t ;has not,hasn’t . - phrase dialectal, informal
do not,don’t ;does not,doesn’t ;did not,didn’t .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I bet there are real voices in her head warning her to make sure Sasha's hair is combed, or that Malia doesn't have ashy elbows or avoid using the term ain't in a sentence!
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Perhaps James and Wade really weren't celebrating after Wade's three-pointer and perhaps in their mutual stare expressed their understanding that, to quote Yogi Berra again, it ain't over till it's over -- and that they needed, more than ever, to be focused and mentally tough and keep clawing like they were being by 15 points.
Larry Strauss: The NBA Finals: Young Guys Make Highlights, But Old Guys Rule Larry Strauss 2011
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It ain't over till the fat lady sings - or in this case - till the checks clear.
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Dodd you lying, cheating sack of crap, are going down and you can invoke Ted Kennedy all you want, "ain't gonna help ya".
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Bet the media ain't bringing that up to show this confederate flag defender is nothing but a scum bag ....
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Her resentments toward the industry are apparent on last year's leak, "Hollywood," in which she sings: "Mother always told me, 'Jo, be careful, everything that glitters ain't gold," and later urges, "Don't sell your soul to have what someone had yesterday."
Sam Lansky: A Teen Pop Star Grows Up (and Gets Mad Along the Way) Sam Lansky 2011
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Rebecca Nicholson"You ain't heard nothin' yet," proclaimed Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer in 1927, heralding the end of the silent era in movie-making.
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Her resentments toward the industry are apparent on last year's leak, "Hollywood," in which she sings: "Mother always told me, 'Jo, be careful, everything that glitters ain't gold," and later urges, "Don't sell your soul to have what someone had yesterday."
Sam Lansky: A Teen Pop Star Grows Up (and Gets Mad Along the Way) Sam Lansky 2011
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"There ain't no sheriff in this town, or at least there will not be for at least another six months," said Barclays Capital analyst Paul Horsnell .
OPEC Rift Gives Rise to Doubts, Price Fears Guy Chazan 2011
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Unless, of course, lining the Dems pockets with legal fees is the real reason we Dems exist, ain't it Mr. Prez?
Obama: 'If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out' 2009
stpeter commented on the word ain't
Poor ain't. So universally reviled by Latin-loving prescriptivist grammar Nazis. Yet so wonderfully Anglo-Saxon.
December 9, 2006
aftenthurston commented on the word ain't
I don't know who thought that it would be a good idea to officially make that a word, but they should be tarred and feathered for it!
January 8, 2007
seanahan commented on the word ain't
What is wrong with this word? It has been part of Standard English since at least the time of Twain, and will continue to be so. It is not acceptable written English, but then many things people say aren't.
January 9, 2007
stpeter commented on the word ain't
Ain't is a contraction for "am not". Another form is "amn't" but that's hard to pronounce, no? It was further shortened to "a'n't" or "ain't". We're accepting of "we aren't" in the first person plural, "they aren't" in the third person plural, "he isn't" and "she isn't" and "it isn't" in the third person singular, and "you aren't" in the second person singular and plural. So why the resistance to "I ain't" in the first person singular? Granted, the extension of "ain't" to the second person singular (cf. the song "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby" by Billy Austin and Louis Jordan) and to the third person singular (cf. "It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan) is problematic, albeit fun. But as far as I can see, "I ain't" is fair game.
January 14, 2007
sonofgroucho commented on the word ain't
Then there's "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone".
January 29, 2007
abraxaszugzwang commented on the word ain't
Don't say ain't or your mother will faint, your father will fall in a bucket of paint, your sister will cry, your brother will die, and the dog will call the FBI.
February 18, 2007
somescram commented on the word ain't
The word "ain't" appears in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." I'd say that's about all the support the English languages needs for its official inclusion in the language.
May 26, 2008
somescram commented on the word ain't
The word "ain't" appears in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." I'd say that's about all the support the English languages needs for its official inclusion in the language.
May 26, 2008
dontcry commented on the word ain't
The word "Moby" also appears in Moby Dick...
May 27, 2008
tbtabby commented on the word ain't
"I didn't spell 'ain't,' I spelled 'aquaintanceship!'"
April 7, 2009
singlestar commented on the word ain't
Despite the many convincing arguments for ain't as a contraction for 'I am not', I find myself cringing at the thought of it becoming a universally accepted part of the English language. Perhaps that is because it evokes images of illiterate hillbillies and other uneducated classes of society. Unfortunately, it is those very people who drive the change in language. Misuse of words and slang become commonplace and eventually wind up in the dictionary, thus language evolves. I guess I have to live with it but liking it is, to quote another of my pet peeves "a whole nother thing"!
May 20, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word ain't
See comments on aren't I.
December 29, 2010