ay
ay Lexical Profile
ay Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
Scottish Yes; used to express affirmation, assent, or agreement.
"Ay, I remember when the old stone bridge was first built across the river."
Always; ever; continually (chiefly poetic, archaic, or Scottish).
"The ancient ballads speak of a love that shall endure for ay."
• noun
An affirmative vote or reply, or a person casting such a vote.
"After a brief debate in the chamber, the motion was carried by a clear majority of ays."
• interjection
An exclamation used to express sorrow, regret, surprise, or distress (often in the phrase 'ay me').
"Ay me, what a terrible misfortune has befallen our house!"
Word Nuance & Usage
"Ay" is an alternative spelling of "aye" with two distinct pronunciations and meanings: pronounced like "eye" (/aɪ/) when meaning "yes" or "an affirmative vote", and pronounced like the letter "A" (/eɪ/) in the poetic sense of "always" or "forever".
• Rhymes for ay
Word Origin & Etymology
As an adverb meaning "always", it derives from Middle English ay, borrowed from Old Norse ei ("ever, always"). As an affirmative response meaning "yes", it appeared in the late 16th century, possibly as an alteration of the pronoun I or from the adverbial sense.