yeah, no
Polite but declining
Yeah, no is a conversational phrase that sounds contradictory but typically signals disagreement or rejection.
The initial "yeah" acknowledges what was said before the speaker declines or disagrees: Yeah, no, I'm not doing that.
It can also dismiss something as obvious or already understood: Yeah, no, that's definitely not happening.
The phrase is informal and common in casual speech.
- no wayEmphatic denial
- hard passEmphatic informal rejection
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- mixed signalsContradictory indications from someone
- doubtfulnessState of being uncertain
denial · nah · gentle letdown · catchphrase · Australian slang · uncertainty · equivocation · hedging · vernacular · contradiction · buffering · regionalism · indecision · sarcasm · passive aggressive · dismissal · mitigation · indirectness
yeah, noabsolutely
Completely, without exception
yes · definitely · of course · sure thing · you bet
yeah, nohell yes
Forceful informal affirmative
absolutely · one hundred percent · yeah · count me in · enthusiastically
yeah, noyes
Opposite of no
no · absolutely · definitely not · certainly · unequivocally