99 Effective Ways to Say No

Do you struggle to say “no” and actually stick by your decision? If so, keep reading for dozens of simple, fun, yet effective ways to say “no” — there’s one for every situation!

Have you ever stopped to consider the idea of saying “no” not because you’re already too busy… but simply because you don’t want to be too busy?

This was apparently a novel idea to a group of women I shared it with the last week.

They had never considered saying “no” BEFORE they were already maxed out and overwhelmed. And even when they were already too overwhelmed, they still struggled to say “no” out of guilt or fear of disappointing someone else.

Can you relate?

As a result of that conversation, I thought it would be fun to list a bunch of ways to help us all practice saying that glorious 2-letter word.

I originally entitled this post 21 Effective Ways to Say “No”, then 49 Effective Ways to Say “No”, which eventually morphed into 72 Effective Ways to Say “No”.

As the days went on, I continued thinking up more and more and more ways to say “No” — I even woke up in the middle of the night with additional ideas. 

I finally capped myself at 99 Effective Ways to Say “No” because I don’t think anyone could ever need more than 99 ways to say “No” (at least, I hope not!)

If you struggle to say “No”, bookmark this post and refer back to it often! 😉

99 Effective Ways to Say “No”! 

A short and sweet ‘no’:

Sometimes a simple “no” is good enough — you aren’t required to provide a reason or excuse. Just politely decline and move on with your day.

1. No.
2. Nope.
3. Nah.
4. Not now.
5. No, I’m sorry. 
6. I don’t think so. 
7. Not this time
8. No thank you.
9. Unfortunately not.
10. No, for now. 

Not as short, but still sweet:

These responses are great for when you want to alleviate hurt feelings but don’t want to provide an excuse or any other reasoning for your decision.

1. Sorry, I just can’t.
2. My apologies, but no. 
3. No, thanks for understanding.
4. I’d love to… but I can’t.
5. If only I could say yes… 
6. Maybe another time.
7. Thanks, but no thanks.
8. No. Again, I’m so sorry!
9. I won’t be able to make that work.
10. Sorry, that’s just not my “thing”. 
11. My apologies; I can’t make it.
12. Shucks… I can’t fit that into my schedule.
13. I can’t, but I hope you have so much fun!
14. It’s a “No” for me this time around.

Short, but not as sweet:

When someone keeps pestering you and just won’t take no for an answer… feel free to whip out one of these not-quite-as-sweet responses. 😂

1. Not possible… sorry.
2. Heck No!
3. No Way, José
4. No can do.
5. Absolutely not.
6. I think not.
7. Not happening. 
8. Not today.
9. Not likely. 
10. Certainly not. 

A short excuse:

If you feel you must provide an excuse, these are helpful responses that aren’t overly specific.

1. Sorry, I’m busy.
2. No, I’m already booked.
3. I’m totally slammed. 
4. I just can’t commit at the moment. 
5. I’m unavailable at that time. 
6. Sadly, I have prior engagements. 
7. I’m not around, so it just won’t work. 
8. I’m otherwise engaged… so sorry. 
9. I need to bow out for now.
10. I have something else going on. 
11. It’s not a great idea for me at this point. 

A longer excuse:

Most of the time, I don’t think you need to provide an excuse as to why you’re saying ‘no’… but I also know from experience that sharing a reasonable excuse helps to eliminate my own guilt. Here are a few legitimate excuses you might use.

1. That [time, date, location] doesn’t work for me.
2. So sorry, it’s almost impossible for me to get away in the [evenings, mornings, afternoons, weekends].
3. Sorry, my [family, neighbor, friend, coworker, pet] needs me at that time. 
4. Perhaps next [month, year, season, time] when my schedule is freed up a bit.
5. I just realized it’s Tuesday (or whatever day you choose). Tuesdays are bad for me!
6. I’m in a crazy season of life right now and can’t do one more thing. 
7. I’m not taking on anything extra right now.
8. I already have another commitment at that time. 
9. I just have too much on my plate right now. I can’t add anything else. 

A grateful ‘no’:

A little thankfulness and gratefulness goes a long way when turning down a request…

1. It’s so nice of you to think of me, but I have to pass.
2. I’m honored! I wish I could make that work, but I can’t. 
3. That sounds amazing, I wish I didn’t have to say no. 
4. It’s so [kind, thoughtful, considerate] of you to think of me, but I just can’t. 
5. Man, I wish I didn’t have to say no this time!
6. My heart says “yes” but my brain says “no”.
7. I can’t believe I’m passing this up… but it’s just not for me.
8. No thank you… but it sounds wonderful. 
9. Sounds tempting! I wish I could make it work.
10. I really want to say yes… but I can’t. 
11. I’d rather not — but thanks for asking. 
12. It’s just not for me. Thanks for understanding.

A helpful ‘no’:

Choose one of these responses when you feel bad saying ‘no’ and would like to offer a bit of help.

1. It doesn’t work for me, but I know a couple of people who might be interested. 
2. Not this time, but I’d love to help in the future.
3. I can’t. But here’s what I can do…

A delayed ‘no’:

If you need more time or space to think things through, try one of these delayed ‘nos’.

1. Give me some time to think about it (and then email them a “no”).
2. Sounds like a blast — can’t wait to [come, be, participate, help] next time!
3. Not right now, but I’d love for you to ask me again in another [year, month, week].
4. Thanks for thinking of me… please reach out again.
5. I’m not taking on any other tasks right now, but maybe in the future.
6. I’m in a season of “Nos” right now. Ask me next time.
7. I have to take a rain check this time. 
8. No, sorry… I’m taking a little time off right now. 
9. I’m bummed I won’t be able to help/participate/be involved this time. 
10. I’m going to pass this time around… maybe next time! 

A respectful ‘no’:

I’m a firm believer that saying ‘no’ shows respect for your own time and for the person/organization requesting your time, money, or energy. Don’t get defensive or be overly apologetic, but DO be kind yet firm in your response.

1. Out of respect for [myself, my family, my friends, my coworkers], I must say no.
2. Sorry, my [boss, spouse, child, friend, advisor, coach, therapist] won’t agree to this.
3. I’m trying to cut back so I can’t let myself add anything extra. 
4. I’ve already committed to ______ and I don’t want to spread myself too thin.
5. I simply don’t have the time, energy, or resources to give right now. 
6. That’s not something I feel comfortable with.
7. I’ve enjoyed this in the past, but I’m trying something new this year.
8. I fear the demands of this would be too much for me right now. 
9. I’m not at a point where I can say “yes” to this right now, so my answer is “no”.
10. I know I’ll regret it if I don’t say no this time.

A few more ‘nos’:

Here are a few more ideas, if you’re still looking for some inspiration!

1. I wish I had a clone — then I’d say yes!
2. I just don’t think I’m the person you’re looking for. 
3. I’m bummed that I need to pass up this opportunity. 
4. Maybe in another life, I’d have time for this. 
5. I wouldn’t be able to do it justice, so I’d better pass. 
6. I’m honestly not sure I’m the best person for this opportunity. 
7. I know you’ll have a great time without me. 
8. No thanks. I’m sure you’ll find someone else. 
9. If only there were more hours in the day — then I could say yes.
10. I’m bummed that we can’t figure out a way to make this happen right now.

I’ve used many of these exact phrases and can attest that they do work! 

Also, I hope you know that while I want this post to be helpful and fun, it’s also written a bit in jest as Dave and I are huge “yes” people and try to volunteer and help out at church and school as much as possible (without compromising our family, our sanity, or our health).

I am forever an advocate of using your gifts, helping when you can, participating when it works, and giving generously of your time and energy. I also would never encourage you to skip out of a commitment at the last minute or not “pull your weight” on a previously agreed-upon arrangement without trying to find a sub to fill your shoes.

However, there are still times when you simply must say”No”… and it’s never fun or easy.

The more you practice saying “No”, the easier it will become and the less guilty you’ll feel. 

Try out a few of these options this week (without intentionally leaving others high and dry)… and enjoy more breathing room in your schedule!

A Few More Resources to Help You Stand Your Ground…

• A Post for Anyone Who Struggles to Say “No”
• Say “No” Without Explanation
• Saying “No” Shows Respect
• One More Reason to Say “No”
• 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Saying “Yes”

What are your favorite effective ways to say “No”?