verb · intransitive · frequent

won't

won't · won'ts · won'ted · won'ting

Will not; used to indicate a future non-occurring actionWill not (negative auxiliary); used to indicate a future non-occurring action.

UK/wəʊnt/US/woʊnt/

Meaning

2 senses

Will not (negative auxiliary); used to indicate a future non-occurring action.
Sam won't be doing any work this afternoon.
Doesn't want to
He either can't or won't do anything about it.

Origin

From earlier wonnot, from Middle English wynnot, wilnot, wolnot, wilnat, a contraction of

From earlier wonnot, from Middle English wynnot, wilnot, wolnot, wilnat, a contraction of Middle English will not, wil not, wyll not, will noght, wil noht, willi noȝt, wyl nat, wol not, woll not, wole not, wolle not, wol nat, woll nat, etc., equivalent to a will + not and/or woll + not. For the pronunciation with /oʊ/, /əʊ/, see poultry.

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Forms

won'ts, won'ting, won'ted, won'ted

Base form	won't · to won't
3rd person singular	won'ts
Present participle	won'ting
Past simple	won'ted
Past participle	won'ted

regular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, they	won't
he, she, it	won'ts

Past simpleLesson

all persons

won'ted

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, they	have won'ted
he, she, it	has won'ted

Future simple (will)Lesson

all persons

will won't

Synonyms

4 synonyms

will not:willn't wolln't wonnotwo'n't

Lessons for this word

2 lessons

A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
B1Used to and would for past habits — Because of how it combines with other verbs