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• Sy
  Sy

  noun

  a male given name, form of Seymour, Simon, or Silas.
• sy-
  sy-

  variant of syn- before s followed by a consonant and before z: systaltic; syzygy.
• -sy
  -sy

  a suffix forming nouns or adjectives, sometimes a diminutive of the base word and usually confined to informal and jocular use (bitsy; footsie; halvsies ); adjectives formed with -sy may be ironic, implying that the quality in question is self-consciously assumed or feigned (artsy; cutesy; folksy ). The combination of -s and -y or -y in certain words (antsy; gutsy ) should perhaps be considered further instances of this suffix.
• SY
  SY

  abbreviation

  Seychelles (international car registration)
• sy
  sy

  abbreviation

  Syrian Arab Republic

Sy

¹ American  

[sahy] / saɪ /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Seymour, Simon, or Silas.

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sy- ² American  

1. variant of syn- before s followed by a consonant and before z: systaltic; syzygy.

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-sy ³ American  

1. a suffix forming nouns or adjectives, sometimes a diminutive of the base word and usually confined to informal and jocular use (bitsy; footsie; halvsies ); adjectives formed with -sy may be ironic, implying that the quality in question is self-consciously assumed or feigned (artsy; cutesy; folksy ). The combination of -s and -y or -y in certain words (antsy; gutsy ) should perhaps be considered further instances of this suffix.

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SY ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Seychelles (international car registration)

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sy ² British  

abbreviation

1. Syrian Arab Republic

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Etymology

Origin of -sy

Perhaps originally two distinct suffixes, one diminutive (as in Betsy, popsy, tootsy ) and the other adjectival; sources of both are uncertain

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sy sy- SY sy

Sy Crockford, at Marina Fish & Chips in Saundersfoot, said offering the traditional seaside classic at an affordable price had become very challenging.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

I remember being moved by the close bond author Sy Montgomery forms with one of these cephalopods in “The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration in the Wonder of Consciousness.”

From Salon ● May 12, 2025

Michelle Sy just wants to get her two sons’ Nintendo Switch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025

"For the students in our study, screen time was definitely associated with insomnia symptoms," said Sy, a graduate student in OSU's School of Psychological Science.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024

I also knew Sy Oliver; he was married to a red-complexioned girl, and they lived up on Sugar Hill; Sy did a lot of arranging for Tommy Dorsey in those days.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

NOTE.—The form sy- is used before s; syl- before l, sym- before b, p or m.

From New Word-Analysis Or, School Etymology of English Derivative Words by William Swinton

"The trust the ECI once commanded almost unquestioningly is now under greater public scrutiny," former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi wrote in the Indian Express newspaper.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has raised concerns about the high costs.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2024

Sandy Young, founder of SY Financial Group in Hampstead, Maryland, acknowledges the importance of factoring longevity into your calculations.

From US News ● Sep. 9, 2016

Homeland Security spokesman SY Lee said that his agency is coordinating efforts to strengthen grid cybersecurity nationwide and to raise awareness about evolving threats to the electric sector through industry trainings and risk assessments.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 21, 2015

The man referred to above, signed "SY," and he had about as much judgment as a two year old kid.

From Danger Signals Remarkable, Exciting and Unique Examples of the Bravery, Daring and Stoicism in the Midst of Danger of Train Dispatchers and Railroad Engineers by John A. Hill

Current predictions for global warming are for an increase in temperature ranging from 0.6℃ to 4℃ use sy by 2099.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2017

If we continued this format, we would call displacement s with components s x and sy .

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

But what about the children who must build sand castles with graying oldsters who can't play ring-around-the-ro sy without breaking into a sweat?

From Time Magazine Archive

“I sy, Bill!” shrilled a girl to her swain.

From The Sirdar's Oath A Tale of the North-West Frontier by Bertram Mitford

Then from the end s, let sy, be made parallell to ai: and lastly, let ea, be drawne out, untill it doe meete with it.

From The Way To Geometry by William Bedwell