yay

¹ American  

[yey] / jeɪ /

interjection

Informal.

1. (an exclamation used to express joy, excitement, etc.)

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yay ² American  

[yey] / jeɪ /

Or yea

adverb

Informal.

1. to the extent, amount, etc., indicated.

   The doll is about yay high.

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yay British  

/ jeɪ /

interjection

1. informal an exclamation indicating approval, congratulation, or triumph

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Etymology

Origin of yay¹

First recorded in 1960–65; perhaps alteration of yeah

Origin of yay²

Probably < yea

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yay

I hadn't thought about it till it came out in the press, so yay, yay for me.

From Barron's ● Jan. 17, 2026

It’s saying, “Oh, yay, I get to flunk another math test this week,” when what you mean is that you are freaked out about your consistently terrible grades in math class.

From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2024

"I've been watching the trailer and going yay she's here," Cleo told the BBC.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2023

Roy runs into Phoebe’s teacher — yay, Phoebe, genuinely and always — and she says he seemed “stuck” the last time they spoke, which evidently serves to immediately unstick him.

From New York Times ● May 17, 2023

Wolf Ma ing an Mahigan Tshee o nay Noo nee yay.

From Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory Volume II. by M'lean, John