shouldn't

contraction

ˈshu̇-dᵊnt How to pronounce shouldn't (audio)
-dᵊn,
 dialectal also  ˈshu̇-tᵊn(t),
 or  ˈshu̇nt
: should not

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shouldn't was in 1675

Dictionary Entries Near shouldn't

shouldest

shouldn't

shouldna

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Shouldn't.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shouldn%27t. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

shouldn't

ˈshu̇d-ᵊnt How to pronounce shouldn't (audio)
: should not

More from Merriam-Webster on shouldn't

Nglish: Translation of shouldn't for Spanish Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...