Advertisement
Advertisement
ain't
[ eynt ]
- Nonstandard except in some dialects. contraction of am not; are not; is not.
- Nonstandard. contraction of have not; has not; do not; does not; did not.
ain't
/ eɪnt /
contraction of
- am not, is not, are not, have not, or has not
I ain't seen it
Discover More
Usage Note
As a substitute for am not, is not, and are not in declarative sentences, ain't is more common in uneducated speech than in educated, but it occurs with some frequency in the informal speech of the educated, especially in the southern and south-central states. This is especially true of the interrogative use of ain't I? as a substitute for the formal and—to some—stilted am I not? or for aren't I?, considered by some to be ungrammatical, or for the awkward—and rare in American speech— amn't I? Some speakers avoid any of the preceding forms by substituting Isn't that so ( true, the case ) ? Ain't occurs in humorous or set phrases: Ain't it the truth! She ain't what she used to be. It ain't funny. The word is also used for emphasis: That just ain't so! It does not appear in formal writing except for deliberate effect in such phrases or to represent speech. As a substitute for have not or has not and—occasionally in Southern speech— do not, does not, and did not, it is nonstandard except in similar humorous uses: You ain't heard nothin' yet! aren't.
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse