ay

[ ey ]

/ eɪ /

Save This Word!

Definition of ay

adverb Archaic.

ever; always.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also aye .

Origin of ay

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

Words nearby ay

axoplasmic transport, axosomatic, axseed, ax to grind, Axum, ay, Ayacucho, ayah, ayahuasca, Ayana, Ayande

Other definitions for ay (2 of 2)

ay²

[ ey ]

/ eɪ /

interjection Archaic.

(used to express regret or sorrow.)

Origin of ay

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ay in a sentence

Go away-ay, send them away, They shouldn’t be cutting the line.
Style Invitational Week 1424: We Bee back — a neologism contest|Pat Myers|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
Go away-ay, send them away, We’re nurses with covid vaccine.
Style Invitational Week 1424: We Bee back — a neologism contest|Pat Myers|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
MARTA: With sacks of money and the anti-Communist tactics of your Senator Jzo-ay McCarthy.
Whit Stillman on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, His New Amazon Series, and the Myth of the Ugly Expat|Michael Weiss|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mais ce n'est pas de merveille; car, comme j'ay dict, ils sont enfans.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

On dit neantmoins que les Armouchiquois se craignirent de tels voysins, et cette cause firent mourir ce capitaine que j'ay dit.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Le jour suyvant, j'allay visiter les Sauvages, et y fis mon accoustum, ainsy qu j'ay dict de Kinibqui.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
L dessus allegresse & rejoussance, 178 & actions de graces Dieu en procession sur la montagne que i'ay mentionn ci-dessus.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Ie ne veux rememorer ce que i'ay crit en mon Histoire de la Nouvelle-France, livre 4.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ay (1 of 3)

ay¹

/ (eɪ) /

adverb

archaic, poetic ever; always

Word Origin for ay

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

British Dictionary definitions for ay (2 of 3)

ay²

aye

/ (eɪ) /

interjection

archaic, poetic an expression of misery or surprise

Word Origin for ay

C14 ey: from an involuntary cry of surprise

British Dictionary definitions for ay (3 of 3)

ay³

/ (aɪ) /

sentence substitute, noun

a variant spelling of aye 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012