adj

nary

NEH-uh-ree

adj

Not any; not a single one — an old-fashioned or dialect way of saying "no."

"There was nary a cloud in the sky all afternoon."

"He searched the cupboard but found nary a crumb."

How to Use Nary

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn old, folksy way of saying "not a single" — as in "nary a word was spoken."

When to use it

Sounds old-fashioned or rural; mostly seen in literature, folk speech, or for deliberate quaint effect, not everyday conversation.

Common pairings

nary a word nary a soul nary a sound

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “nary” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

There was _____ a cloud in the sky all afternoon.

Formed by squashing together "ne'er" (never) and "a" — so "nary a" originally just meant "never a."

vary Mary wary Gary Cary diary ovary weary scary teary deary clary