adverb
nay
Introduces a more accurate or stronger statement.
The poet calls the valley beautiful, nay, unforgettable.
Etymology
The older word means no. In this rhetorical use it rejects an initial description as too weak and replaces it with a stronger or more exact statement.
More examples
- It was difficult, nay impossible, to cross that night.
- She was pleased, nay delighted, with the result.
- The narrator described him as bold, nay reckless.
Forms
nay