ENGLISH
REFERENCE

naw

interj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈnɑ// naw Informal

interj. a casual way to say 'no'. You use it when you are talking to friends and want to sound relaxed.

interj. a colloquial or dialectal variant of 'no', expressing negation or disagreement. Often used to signal a relaxed or informal social alignment between speakers.


SIMPLE

Naw, I don't think I want to go out tonight.

CONTEXTUAL

When I asked if he had finished the report yet, he just laughed and said naw.

COMPLEX

While the formal proposal required a written rejection, the initial verbal response was a simple 'naw' from the lead developer, indicating the idea was non-viable from the start.

Origin

In Scottish use, from Scots naw, naa, na, from Middle English na, from Old English nā (“no, never”). More generally, a colloquial, unarticulated form of no; compare nah. More at no.

Usage

Used primarily in spoken English or informal digital communication; functions as a complete utterance or a sentence modifier.

Pitfall

Naw, thank you for the professional opportunity.No, thank you for the professional opportunity.Using 'naw' in formal or professional contexts is inappropriate as it is strictly informal and can seem disrespectful.

© 2026 English Reference