very not

USAGE SUMMARY

"very not" is not considered grammatically correct or appropriate for use in written English.
"Very" and "not" are two words with contradictory meanings, and they cannot be used together in this way. Instead, you could use other adverbs to intensify the negation, such as "definitely not" or "absolutely not." For example: - I am definitely not going to the party tomorrow. - She is absolutely not interested in joining the club. You could also use "very" and "not" in separate parts of the sentence, such as: - I am very hesitant, not excited, about starting a new job. - The movie was not very good, it was quite disappointing actually.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

"Very not me".

The New Yorker

I think it's very not chic.

The New York Times - Magazine

Sort of, very, not at all.

The New York Times - Arts

But he is very not so gay.

The New York Times - Magazine

How very not "Laguna Beach".

The New York Times - Arts

The bleachers were very not.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

9 human-written examples

He describes himself as "a very not-cool person," adding shyly, "But the fame crosses out the geek part".

The New York Times

On a very not-silly note, President Obama announced a new war strategy for Afghanistan this week.

Huffington Post

Not very good, not very good.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tense banter quickly gives way to a daring rescue of some very-not-white people on a bridge.

Forbes

When trying to be awesome remember that trying too hard to be anything can be very-not awesome-.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "very not" in formal writing. Opt for clearer and more grammatically accepted alternatives like "definitely not" or rephrase the sentence for better clarity.

Common error

Using "very not" might make your writing sound too casual for professional or academic contexts. Consider whether a more formal expression is necessary to convey seriousness and precision.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "very not" functions as an attempt to intensify a negation. However, as Ludwig AI points out, this construction is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. The phrase seeks to strengthen the negative sentiment, similar to using adverbs like 'definitely' or 'absolutely'.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Science

4%

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "very not" appears frequently, particularly in news and media, it is grammatically incorrect and generally unsuitable for formal writing. As Ludwig AI indicates, more appropriate alternatives such as "definitely not" or "absolutely not" should be used instead. Although it attempts to intensify negation, its informal register makes it less effective in professional or academic contexts. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid "very not" in situations requiring precision and grammatical correctness. The prevalence of this construction in informal settings, however, demonstrates its colloquial use for emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

definitely not

Stronger emphasis on negation.

absolutely not

Similar to 'definitely not', conveying firm negation.

certainly not

Formal way to express negation.

not at all

Emphasizes the absence of something.

not really

Indicates a weak negation or doubt.

far from

Implies the opposite is true.

quite the opposite

Highlights a contrast or reversal.

not so much

Indicates less of something than expected.

scarcely

Emphasizes the scarcity or infrequency.

hardly

Similar to 'scarcely', indicating minimal presence.

FAQs

Is "very not" grammatically correct?

No, "very not" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Alternatives like "definitely not" or "absolutely not" are preferred.

When is it appropriate to use "very not"?

While grammatically questionable, "very not" appears informally, particularly in online contexts and casual speech. However, avoid it in formal writing.

What does "very not" mean?

The phrase "very not" attempts to intensify a negation. Instead of saying something is "not good", one might say it's "very not good". This is often used for emphasis, though it's not grammatically sound.

Are there better ways to emphasize negation than "very not"?

Yes. Phrases like "certainly not", "absolutely not", or "definitely not" provide stronger, grammatically correct ways to emphasize negation. You can also rephrase the sentence for emphasis.