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The phrase nary a—which means not one, no, or not a and fits where any of those would work—derives from never a (via ne'er a).

Grammarist. The phrase nary a—which means not one, no, or not a and fits where any of those would work—derives from never a (via ne'er a). As it's dialectal, it might be considered out of place in formal writing. Yet that doesn't stop writers from using it in all sorts of contexts.

nary ​Definitions and Synonyms never. Nary a means 'not a single one'. Synonyms and related words. Never and never again. never.

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.

Nary is an old fashioned and informal way to say "not." You might describe your friend's sad, empty book shelves with nary a novel on them, or your bald great uncle, who has nary a hair on his head. The word has been around since the mid-1700s, from never a, which was then shortened to ne'er a, and finally nary.

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.

adjective Older Use. not any; no; never a: nary a sound.

nary ​Definitions and Synonyms never. Nary a means 'not a single one'. Synonyms and related words. Never and never again. never.