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• Sy
  Sy

  noun

  a male given name, form of Seymour, Simon, or Silas.
• sy-
  sy-

  variant of syn- before s followed by a consonant and before z: systaltic; syzygy.
• -sy
  -sy

  a suffix forming nouns or adjectives, sometimes a diminutive of the base word and usually confined to informal and jocular use (bitsy; footsie; halvsies ); adjectives formed with -sy may be ironic, implying that the quality in question is self-consciously assumed or feigned (artsy; cutesy; folksy ). The combination of -s and -y or -y in certain words (antsy; gutsy ) should perhaps be considered further instances of this suffix.
• SY
  SY

  abbreviation

  Seychelles (international car registration)
• sy
  sy

  abbreviation

  Syrian Arab Republic

Sy

¹ American  

[sahy] / saɪ /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Seymour, Simon, or Silas.

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sy- ² American  

1. variant of syn- before s followed by a consonant and before z: systaltic; syzygy.

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-sy ³ American  

1. a suffix forming nouns or adjectives, sometimes a diminutive of the base word and usually confined to informal and jocular use (bitsy; footsie; halvsies ); adjectives formed with -sy may be ironic, implying that the quality in question is self-consciously assumed or feigned (artsy; cutesy; folksy ). The combination of -s and -y or -y in certain words (antsy; gutsy ) should perhaps be considered further instances of this suffix.

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SY ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Seychelles (international car registration)

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sy ² British  

abbreviation

1. Syrian Arab Republic

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Etymology

Origin of -sy

Perhaps originally two distinct suffixes, one diminutive (as in Betsy, popsy, tootsy ) and the other adjectival; sources of both are uncertain

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sy sy- SY sy

Sy Crockford, at Marina Fish & Chips in Saundersfoot, said offering the traditional seaside classic at an affordable price had become very challenging.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

I remember being moved by the close bond author Sy Montgomery forms with one of these cephalopods in “The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration in the Wonder of Consciousness.”

From Salon ● May 12, 2025

"There is a prevailing notion that screen time increases the likelihood of insomnia symptoms, and we did see that," Sy said.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024

Sy isn’t the one in the Chow Yun-fat role, incidentally.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2024

I also knew Sy Oliver; he was married to a red-complexioned girl, and they lived up on Sugar Hill; Sy did a lot of arranging for Tommy Dorsey in those days.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

NOTE.—The form sy- is used before s; syl- before l, sym- before b, p or m.

From New Word-Analysis Or, School Etymology of English Derivative Words by Swinton, William

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has raised concerns about the high costs.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2024

Sandy Young, founder of SY Financial Group in Hampstead, Maryland, acknowledges the importance of factoring longevity into your calculations.

From US News ● Sep. 9, 2016

Homeland Security spokesman SY Lee said that his agency is coordinating efforts to strengthen grid cybersecurity nationwide and to raise awareness about evolving threats to the electric sector through industry trainings and risk assessments.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 21, 2015

But a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, SY Lee, said that the US offers protection for those who fear harm in their home countries through a variety of channels.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2015

The man referred to above, signed "SY," and he had about as much judgment as a two year old kid.

From Danger Signals Remarkable, Exciting and Unique Examples of the Bravery, Daring and Stoicism in the Midst of Danger of Train Dispatchers and Railroad Engineers by Hill, John A.

Current predictions for global warming are for an increase in temperature ranging from 0.6℃ to 4℃ use sy by 2099.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2017

If we continued this format, we would call displacement s with components s x and sy .

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

But what about the children who must build sand castles with graying oldsters who can't play ring-around-the-ro sy without breaking into a sweat?

From Time Magazine Archive

Well, I can sy this—I've done my duty by the girl, an' she's never learnt anythin' but good from me.

From Liza of Lambeth by Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset)

"They sy she's tykin' on horful baht th' old man, pore kid!"

From The Trail of '98 A Northland Romance by Service, Robert W. (Robert William)