yay

¹ American  

[yay] / jeɪ /

interjection

Informal.

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

---

yay ² American  

[yay] / jeɪ /

Or yea

adverb

Informal.

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

   The doll is about yay high.

---

yay British  

/ jeɪ /

interjection

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

---

Etymology

Origin of yay¹

First recorded in 1960–65; perhaps alteration of yeah

Origin of yay²

Probably < yea

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yay

The circumstances suck, but, yay, it’s a fun ride.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jan. 17, 2026

The party did not hold a vote when its officers met last week, but it had initially been described to BBC News NI by one source as a "yay or nay" meeting.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2024

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

"Yay, yay, yay!" the girl yelled, jumping up and down as the desire of her heart moved forward.

From Stories from the Old Attic by Robert A. Harris