You use nay in front of a stronger word or phrase which you feel is more correct than the one you have just used and helps to emphasize the point you are making.
[formal, emphasis]
He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable, nay, unique performance.
Long essays, nay, whole books have been written on this.
Synonyms: indeed, actually, in fact, and even More Synonyms of nay
2. convention
Nay is sometimes used to mean 'no' when talking about people voting against something or refusing to give consent for something.
Will rural communities be able to say yea or nay to such proposals?
3. convention
Nay is an old-fashioned, literary, or dialect word for 'no'.
[formulae]
nay in British English
(neɪ)
sentence substitute
1. mainly archaic or dialect an archaic or dialect (except in voting by voice) word for no1
noun
2.
a.
a person who votes in the negative
b.
a negative vote
adverb
3. (sentence modifier) archaic an emphatic form of no1
Compare aye1
Word origin
C12: from Old Norse nei, from ne not + ei ever, ay1
nay in American English
(neɪ)
adverb
1.
no
now seldom used except in voting by voice
2.
not that only, but also
used to reinforce a statement
I permit, nay, encourage it
noun
3.
a refusal or denial
4.
a negative vote or a person voting in the negative
5.
a negative answer
Idioms:
say someone nay
Word origin
ME < ON nei < ne, not + ei, ever: see aye1
Examples of 'nay' in a sentence
nay
This situation has been going on for months, nay years.
The Sun (2015)
This was a serious game, nay, a way of life.
Christianity Today (2000)
(adverb)
Definition
used for emphasis
Long essays, nay, whole books have been written on this.
Synonyms
indeed
Later he admitted that the payments had indeed been made.
actually
He had actually felt pain several times, but he had ignored it.
in fact
and even
or rather
in truth
In truth, we were both unhappy.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of actually
Definition
as an actual fact
He had actually felt pain several times, but he had ignored it.