ain't

[ eynt ]

1. Nonstandard except in some dialects. contraction of am not; are not; is not.
2. Nonstandard. contraction of have not; has not; do not; does not; did not.

ain't

/ eɪnt /

contraction of

1. am not, is not, are not, have not, or has not

   I ain't seen it

Usage Note

As a substitute for am not, is not, and are not in declarative sentences, ain't is more common in uneducated speech than in educated, but it occurs with some frequency in the informal speech of the educated, especially in the southern and south-central states. This is especially true of the interrogative use of ain't I? as a substitute for the formal and—to some—stilted am I not? or for aren't I?, considered by some to be ungrammatical, or for the awkward—and rare in American speech— amn't I? Some speakers avoid any of the preceding forms by substituting Isn't that so ( true, the case ) ? Ain't occurs in humorous or set phrases: Ain't it the truth! She ain't what she used to be. It ain't funny. The word is also used for emphasis: That just ain't so! It does not appear in formal writing except for deliberate effect in such phrases or to represent speech. As a substitute for have not or has not and—occasionally in Southern speech— do not, does not, and did not, it is nonstandard except in similar humorous uses: You ain't heard nothin' yet! aren't.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ain't¹

First recorded in 1770–80; variant of amn't (contraction of am not ) by loss of m and raising with compensatory lengthening of a; aren't

Example Sentences

Harris could have constantly blared the truth about our economy being the envy of the world and then promised that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

From Salon

But “when you have, you know, more than 70% of the American people feel like the country is on the wrong track, it ain’t just about race and gender.”

From Los Angeles Times

About halfway through the 90-minute gig, Christina Aguilera — one of several earlier icons in pop’s blond-bombshell lineage — appeared onstage without warning for flamboyant renditions of her late-’90s/early-’00s hits “Ain’t No Other Man” and “What a Girl Wants.”

From Los Angeles Times

Clearing his throat, Danson chimes in, at once teasing and sincere: “What I heard was the 50-and-under takeaway. I would like to add for the older folks: Keep your foot on the gas pedal. Live! This is your life until it ain’t. Go for it.”

From Los Angeles Times

"If the party opposite continues with this act of constitutional vandalism they ain't seen nothing yet," he warned.

From BBC

Is Ain't A Word?

And is ain't in the dictionary?

Ain’t is not listed as a standard word in this dictionary, meaning that language users don’t view it as an accepted word and don’t use it regularly with a standard meaning. Instead, ain’t is viewed as an informal contraction of am not, are not, or is not. 

An informal contraction is a term used in informal situations but not recognized as acceptable by most language users. You wouldn’t use ain’t in formal or semiformal situations, but you might use it among your friends, especially for humorous effect. 

Note: Just because a word isn’t considered a standard word in the dictionary doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “not a word.” Some people may use it, and if enough people start using it regularly, it may be added to the dictionary.