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

“Hides” isn’t the best word, but there needs to be some chords — maybe some happy chords — to offset the really serious topic in the background.

From Los Angeles Times

You’ve heard these words without maybe giving them another thought: the Los Angeles basin.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, that magical realm of shimmering natural beauty, was befouled by smog — maybe forever.

From Los Angeles Times

"In your head, you're still doubting yourself thinking like: 'Oh, maybe I could have played through this'," she said.

From BBC

"Learning that you've had flooding, I realised that no one is immune from climate shocks - only that maybe you have different coping strategies as we are just limited on that," she said.

From BBC