won'twon’t /wəʊnt $ woʊnt/ 
Thesaurus
ThesaurusLongman Language Activatornot good enough► not be good enough
the short form of ‘will not’ · I'm afraid I can't translate this letter. My Italian isn't good enough.not be good enough for · The soil here isn't good enough for arable farming.· I paid $40 for that champagne, but it wasn't good enough for your snobbish friends.not be good enough to do something · a good club player, but not good enough to play for his country
► unsatisfactory formal not good enough and likely to cause problems or make people unhappy: · People should not accept unsatisfactory products. They should complain.· It was a most unsatisfactory meeting - not a single decision was made.· Sharing my office with the two secretaries proved an unsatisfactory arrangement.
► inadequate not good enough for a particular purpose or for what someone needs: · The disease spread quickly because of poor living conditions and inadequate health care.hopelessly/woefully inadequate (=extremely inadequate): · My light clothing was hopelessly inadequate for the cold Japanese winter.· The training that nurses get is woefully inadequate.
► not be up to scratch/not come up to scratch if someone's performance, work, or products are not up to scratch , they are not of the standard that is necessary or expected: · I wonder if Sykes is ill. His work hasn't been up to scratch lately.· Schools are being threatened with closure if exam results are not up to scratch.· If they don't come up to scratch, you can do them all again.
► substandard generally considered to be below the necessary standard: · More money should be spent on the improvement of substandard housing.· Most household goods sold here are substandard, but food is plentiful and cheap.· substandard accommodation
► not come up to/not live up to to not achieve the level or quality that someone expects: · The film didn't live up to our expectations. It was too long and the acting was appalling.· Mark found that he simply could not live up to his teachers' high standards.· So far, she has not lived up to the tremendous promise she displayed earlier.
► won't do British spoken use this about something that is not good enough for a particular purpose: · I need strong nylon thread. Cotton won't do.· I can't accept this quality of work. It just won't do.· Handwritten notes won't do for our purposes. You'll have to type them.
► not cut it American spoken to not have the ability, strength etc to succeed in a particular job or activity: · Most of the kids who start here are young and haven't worked before. Some just can't cut it.
when a law court decides that someone is innocent► insist · "I really need to speak to you now." "Oh, all right if you insist."· We hadn't intended to stay for another drink, but our host insisted.insist (that) · Mom always insists that we keep our rooms neat.· He was a religious man who insisted his children went to church every Sunday.insist on · Many workers now insist on a smoke-free environment.insist on doing something · The man insisted on helping me find a taxi even though I told him I didn't need any help.
► demand to say very strongly and often angrily that something should be done or given to you: · Parents are demanding greater control over their children's education.· I caught Alice going through my letters and demanded an immediate explanation.demand that: · State health inspectors have demanded that the city act immediately to clean the water supply.demand to do something: · The guards demanded to see her I.D. before they allowed her in the building.· Daley demanded to know why the police had not been called in to stop the rioting.
► put your foot down to say firmly that someone must not do something or behave in a particular way: · You'd better put your foot down before those kids get completely out of control.· Ed was talking about dropping out of school, but Mom and Dad put their foot down.
► be adamant if someone is adamant about something, they say strongly that it must be done or that it is right and no one can persuade them to change their mind: · I didn't want to go to the party, but he was adamant and we ended up going.be adamant about: · The protesters were adamant about staying and making sure their voices were heard.be adamant that: · The company's managing director is adamant that there will be no compromise with the unions.be adamant in your opposition/refusal/desire etc: · The district attorney has been adamant in her refusal to pursue the case.
► won't/wouldn't take no for an answer informal if someone won't take no for an answer, they insist that you must do something, even though you have told them that you do not want to do it: · You simply must come to dinner on Saturday - I won't take no for an answer!· I told him that I didn't want to go out with him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.
► be insistent to say repeatedly and strongly that someone should do something, even though they disagree: · My boss finally got me to take the course - he's very insistent.be insistent that: · Eric's parents have been insistent that he and his girlfriend get married.be insistent on: · The principal would be less insistent on kids wearing school uniforms if the school had to pay for them.
► at somebody's insistence if you do something at someone's insistence , you do it because they say you must do it: · Byrd claims he was carrying the gun at his wife's insistence.· At Stevenson's insistence, Reynold's name was kept on the list.at the insistence of somebody: · U.S. troops were finally removed from the country at the insistence of Congress.
► won't/wouldn't hear of informal to insist that someone should not do something, especially because you want to help them in some way: · I've offered to pay Simon for fixing my car, but he won't hear of it.· Jack wouldn't hear of Debbie going back to work so soon after the baby was born.
when it is difficult to move something► can't move especially spoken if you can't move , you are unable to move, for example because you are injured: · Elsie was so frightened that she couldn't move.can't move something: · I can't move my leg - I think it's broken.
► stuck someone or something that is stuck is fixed or trapped in a particular position or place and cannot move or be moved: · I can't open the window - it's stuck.stuck in/at/between etc: · The elevator was stuck between two floors.get stuck (=become stuck): · They tried to drive through the snow, but the car got stuck.stuck in traffic: · Sorry I'm late. I got stuck in traffic.
► jammed something that is jammed cannot be moved because it is trapped between two surfaces or trapped between parts of a machine: · The drawer's jammed - I can't get it open.jammed in/under/between etc: · The paper has got jammed in the printer again.
► stiff if your fingers, back, neck, legs etc are stiff , it is difficult and usually painful for you to move them: · I woke up with a stiff neck this morning.· After a twelve hour plane ride, my back was stiff and sore.feel stiff: · I felt really stiff after playing basketball last week.
► paralysed British /paralyzed American when it is difficult or impossible to move your body: completely/partially paralyzed: · A car crash in 1997 left him completely paralysed.paralysed with: · Deborah stood at the side of the stage, paralyzed with fear.
► stranded unable to move or be moved from a place: · After the flood, hundreds of stranded vehicles lined the roads.stranded on/in/at etc: · Whales occasionally swim too close to shore and become stranded in the shallow water.leave somebody stranded: · My car broke down, and I was left stranded by the side of the road.
► entangled also caught up British if two or more things are entangled or caught up , they are completely twisted together so that they cannot move or separate: entangled in: · His hands were entangled in the ropes.· My glasses were caught up in my hair and I couldn't take them off.become/get entangled/caught up (in): · A child swimming in the river had become entangled in the weeds and been drowned.· Our umbrellas got caught up as we tried to squeeze past each other.
► won't budge/can't budge something if something won't budge , or you can't budge it, you cannot move it even though you try very hard: · Could you give me a hand with this box? It won't budge.· The dresser was so heavy that I couldn't even budge it.not budge (something) an inch: · I tried to raise the window, but it wouldn't budge an inch.
to say that you will not do something► refuse to tell someone firmly that you will not do something they asked you to do: · I asked Stevie if she would help us, but she refused.refuse to do something: · If they refuse to leave, call the police.· The church refused to give legitimacy to the new state.flatly refuse (=refuse without explanation in a way that seems unreasonable): · Mother flatly refused to see the doctor.
► refusal when someone refuses to do something that they have been asked to do: · He was upset by her refusal.· His request for a bigger room met with a blunt refusal.refusal to do something: · She must understand the consequences of her refusal to accept medical treatment.· Refusal to do military service was a criminal offence.
► say no especially spoken to tell someone that you will not do what they asked you to do: · I asked Dad to lend me some money, but he said no.say no no: · They asked me so nicely, I couldn't really say no to them.
► will not/won't especially spoken if someone will not or won't do something that they have been asked to do or told to do, they are determined not to do it: · He won't do anything that I ask him to do.· I won't sign the contract unless they offer me more money.
► not be prepared to do something to refuse to do something - use this when you think it is wrong or unfair that anyone should expect you to do something: · I'm not prepared to wait any longer.· The landlord says that he is not prepared to pay for the repairs.
► draw the line to allow certain things, but feel that you must refuse when a particular point is reached: · Our rules about time-keeping are fairly flexible, but we have to draw the line somewhere.draw the line at: · I don't mind your brother coming to stay, but I draw the line at him moving in!
► decline formal to politely refuse to do what someone has asked you to do, especially when they have asked for your opinion or asked for information: · When asked to comment on details of the agreement, the President declined.decline to do something: · A security officer at the factory, who declined to give his name, said he had seen two men leave the building.· I asked Mr Hughes if he was satisfied with the jury's verdict but he declined to comment.
in a short time from now or from a particular time► soon in a short time from now, or a short time after something else happens: · It'll soon be Christmas.· Driving in the city was hard at first, but she soon got used to it.· Why wasn't I told about this sooner?as soon as possible: · Please reply as soon as possible.as soon as you can: · I came as soon as I could.the sooner the better (=used to say that it is important that something is done very soon): · We need to get him to a hospital, and the sooner the better.after/afterwards: · They set off soon after breakfast.
► before long after a fairly short time: · Those two will be getting married before long.· Her eyelids began to droop and before long she was fast asleep.
► shortly soon - use this especially about something that you know will happen soon: · We apologize for the delay -- the train will be leaving shortly.· The President will shortly be on his way to Italy for a trade conference.shortly after: · Her last novel was published shortly after her death.
► in the near future/in the not too distant future use this to talk about something that will happen in the next few weeks or months, although you do not know exactly when: · She doesn't have a driver's license, but is hoping to pass her test in the near future.· A new health club is to be built here in the not too distant future.
► won't be long spoken use this to say that something will happen soon or someone will arrive soon: · Dinner won't be long.· "When's Dad coming home?'' "He won't be long.''it won't be long before: · It won't be long before we're off on vacation.
► it wasn't long before use this to talk about something that happened fairly soon after a particular event: · They started playing together in June 1961, and it wasn't long before they got a recording contract.
► quickly if you do something quickly , you do it very soon after something else happens: · Alex was knocked to the ground, but he quickly recovered.· Fortunately, India quickly returned to calm after Mrs Gandhi's death.