hay

1 of 2

noun

ˈhā 

1

: herbage and especially grass mowed and cured for fodder

2

: reward

3

slang : bed

ready to hit the hay

4

: a small sum of money

… a saving of … $14 million is not hay.

—H. C. Schonberg

see also:

hit the hay make hay

hay

2 of 2

verb

hayed; haying; hays

intransitive verb

: to cut, cure, and store hay

transitive verb

: to feed with hay

Synonyms of hay

Noun

• dime
• peanuts

Examples of hay in a Sentence

Noun

their credit card debt isn't hay—it'll take years to pay it off

dragging myself out of the hay on such a cold, dreary morning seemed like an act of sheer masochism

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Megdal said that grass and hay production could impact grocery prices. — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Raised over the hillside on four wooden stilts, its design is inspired by the traditional hay barns in the neighboring region – specifically their form once filled with hay. — New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2026

Verb

Since then, the town has preserved the farm as open space while leasing portions of it to local farmers for haying. — Tran Chau, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026

As part of that contract, and to maintain high-quality habitat, participating landowners can’t graze or hay the acreage during those five years. — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hey, from Old English hīeg; akin to Old High German hewi hay, Old English hēawan to hew

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1535, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing hay

• ain't hay
• a roll in the hay
• hay fever
• hay field
• hay-scented fern
• hit the hay
• make hay

Rhymes for hay

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

hay

1 of 2 noun

ˈhā 

: herbs (as grasses) cut and dried for use as fodder

hay

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cut, cure, and store plants for hay

2

: to feed with hay

Geographical Definition

Hay

geographical name

ˈhā 

river 530 miles (853 kilometers) long in northern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, Canada, flowing northeast into Great Slave Lake

Biographical Definition

Hay

biographical name

ˈhā 

John Milton 1838–1905 American statesman