maybe

American  

[mey-bee] / ˈmeɪ bi /

adverb

1. perhaps; possibly.

   Maybe I'll go too.

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noun

1. a possibility or uncertainty.

maybe British  

/ ˈmeɪˌbiː /

adverb

1. 1. perhaps

   2. ( as sentence modifier )

      maybe I'll come tomorrow

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1. possibly; neither yes nor no

Etymology

Origin of maybe

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English may be, short for it may be

Compare meaning

How does maybe compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• perhaps vs. maybe

Example Sentences

"But the injuries really set me back and damaged my confidence a little, and maybe instilled some doubt in me for a period of time."

From Barron's

"It would be a catastrophe. We're going to have to halt projects that were put into the budget by the previous administration, things that maybe were 'nice to have', but we can't afford them."

From BBC

"The film made me realise why maybe my family left Nigeria," he says.

From BBC

Tomorrow, maybe, he would concentrate on the head part.

From Literature

I think Largo is pound for pound, maybe the best venue in town.

From Los Angeles Times