naysayer

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naysayer

/ˈneɪˌseɪ.ə(ɹ)/ UK
/ˈneɪˌseɪ.ɚ/ US

Where it comes from

From nay + say + -er, equivalent to naysay + -er. First use appears c. 1552.

noun naysayers · nay-sayer

One who consistently denies, criticizes, or doubts; a detractor. He ignored the naysayers and succeeded with his idea.
Similar: cynic, doubter, pessimist · Opposite: yeasayer, yea-sayer

Translations

Every language

noun consistent critic

Español	detractor, escéptico, opositor, negativista
中文	反對者 /反对者 fǎnduìzhě, 批評者 /批评者 pīpíngzhě
Deutsch	Neinsager, Nein-Sager, Neinsagerin, Nein-Sagerin, Abstreiter, Kritiker
العربية	مُتَعَرِّض mutaʕarriḍ, عَارِض ʕāriḍ

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MLA

"naysayer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/naysayer. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

naysayer. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/naysayer

Chicago

"naysayer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/naysayer.

BibTeX

@misc{naysayer_2026,
  title = {naysayer},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/naysayer},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}