Nary, most often used in the phrase "nary a" to mean "not a single," is an 18th-century alteration of the adjectival phrase "ne'er a," in which ne'er is a contraction of never.

Congressional leaders, for getting through the year -- and raising the debt limit -- with nary a threat of a government shutdown. From Los Angeles Times There was nary a protective cloud …

Tightly written, nary a word out of place, by turns sarcastic, tender, and irreverent, this a real piece of comedy about contemporary teen life from one funny writer. Nary a soul was in sight. These …

Use the adjective nary to mean "none," or "not a single one." If you hope for a snowy morning, when you wake up you'll be sad to see nary a snowflake.

See examples of NARY used in a sentence.

adjective: (old) with nary a word: ohne ein Wort zu sagen [...]

2025年1月30日 · Univerbation of ne'er +‎ a. nary (not comparable) (somewhat dated) Not, never. Every day, uncomplaining, this ten-ounce muscle contracts 100 thousand times “missing a beat.” Over a lifetime of faithful service, these two self-lubricating, self-regulating, high-capacity pumps beat two and one-half billion times …

What does the word nary mean? There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the word nary. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. This word is used in south-western English regional dialect, Irish English, and U.S. English. How common is the word nary? How is the word nary pronounced?

Define nary. nary synonyms, nary pronunciation, nary translation, English dictionary definition of nary. adj. Not one: "Frequently, measures of major import ... glide through these chambers with nary a whisper of debate" .

NARY meaning: not one used in the phrases {phrase}nary a{/phrase} or {phrase}nary an{/phrase}