no can do

Nō can do

N n

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [noh kan doo]
- /noʊ kæn du/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [noh kan doo]
- /noʊ kæn du/

Definitions of no can do words

adverb no can do (a negative used to express dissent, denial, or refusal, as in response to a question or request) 1
adverb no can do (used to emphasize or introduce a negative statement): Not a single person came to the party, no, not a one. 1
adverb no can do not in any degree or manner; not at all (used with a comparative): He is no better. 1
adverb no can do not a (used before an adjective to convey the opposite of the adjective's meaning): His recovery was no small miracle. 1
adjective no can do not a (used before a noun to convey the opposite of the noun's meaning): She's no beginner on the ski slopes. 1
noun plural no can do an utterance of the word “no.”. 1

See all 11 definitions of no can do

Information block about the term

Origin of no can do

First appearance:

before 900

One of the 4% oldest English words

before 900; Middle English; Old English nā, equivalent to ne not + ā ever (see ay1)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for No can do

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of No can do

no can do popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

no can do usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for no can do

adj no can do

impuissant — lacking strength; feeble; weak.

Just one Synonym for no can do