ay

interjection

ˈī

Synonyms of ay next

next

—usually used with following me to express sorrow or regret

Examples of ay in a Sentence

ay me, we are doomed to listen to that noise all night!

Word History

Etymology

Middle French aymi ay me

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of ay was in 1591

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ay. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

expunge

Listen to the pronunciation of expunge

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Should that word have a hyphen?

Rack vs. Wrack

Are 'Funner' and 'Funnest' Real Words?

Popular in Wordplay

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

Popular

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World