ay
1 Americanadverb
interjection
adverb
interjection
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Does the line finish with an "ay," an "ah", or an "oh"?
From BBC • Jan. 2, 2024
A tale of heartbreak or betrayal is likely to be punctuated by hoots of laughter or mocking cries of ay!
From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2023
Garcia said he was unaware of the ruling, which could bar him from ay European events he was hoping to play.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2023
I look back and I’m like, “Ay, ay, ay.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2022
But when our faces fell, he rallied us: "¡Ay, ay, ay! What a surprise!"
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
