wouldn't

American

[wood-nt] / ˈwʊd nt /

contraction of would not:

I wouldn't ask her.

wouldn't British

/ ˈwʊdənt /

contraction

would not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wouldn't Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing wouldn't

butter wouldn't melt
caught dead, wouldn't be
not
not (wouldn't) lift a finger

Usage

See contraction.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Iran dragged things out going into the first round of talks as well, saying it wouldn’t join without a cease-fire in Lebanon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Aiming for a different, more mature sound wouldn't fit so naturally, Grohl continues.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Wells, whose Virginia-based business is called Sarah Wells Bags, said CBP’s CSV template on Monday failed to download properly and wouldn’t open correctly for her.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

Perhaps if there were a measurable commitment to promoting “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in a way that aligns with the first film, this unnecessary spectacle wouldn’t feel so grating.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

Tansy wouldn’t be in Rockville for high school, so we’d have her day and night.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023