ay

¹

[ey]

adverb

Archaic.

1. ever; always.

ay

²

[ey]

interjection

Archaic.

1. (used to express regret or sorrow.)

ay

¹

/ eɪ /

adverb

1. archaic,  ever; always

ay

²

/ eɪ /

interjection

1. archaic,  an expression of misery or surprise

ay

³

/ aɪ /

1. a variant spelling of aye 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of ay¹

1150–1200; Middle English ei, ai < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse ei, cognate with Old English ā ever

Origin of ay²

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Word History and Origins

Origin of ay¹

C12 ai, from Old Norse ei; related to Old English ā always, Latin aevum an age, Greek aiōn

Origin of ay²

C14 ey: from an involuntary cry of surprise

Example Sentences

A lifeless fish dangled from his beak as he squawked, “Ay! Om fithin hee!”

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“Ay caray, adonde nos trajeron,” he thought.

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The workers did their calisthenics, and Antonio Lopez called out before they raced down the field: “Ay que Dios los ayude.”

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Burn, ay 6 feet 7 inches, fits the bill, while Rogers combines raw power with natural skill and strong running.

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Consistent hits like his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay, “6 AM,” and “Ay Vamos,” the first video to reach a billion YouTube views by a “Latin urban/reggaeton artist,” put him on the frontlines of the genre at the time.

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