(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) (US, Philippines, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary).
(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) (US, Philippines, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary).
We ought to wake dad, '''oughtn't''' we?
Oughtn't means: (US, Philippines, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary).. It is mainly Philippine English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Oughtn't means: (US, Philippines, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary).. It is mainly Philippine English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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(UK, colloquial, or, dialectal) ought not to have.
(negative auxiliary, chiefly, British, formal, or, literary) Need not.
(chiefly, UK, archaic, in, USA) might not (negative auxiliary).
(UK, Irish, colloquial, ;, archaic, or, humorous, _, in, _, US, Canada, ;, dated, _, in, _, Australia, New Zealand) (negative auxiliary).
oughtn't means: (US, Philippines, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary).. Register: dated, informal. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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(auxiliary, dated) Indicating inadvisability; ought not to.