y

1 of 8

noun (1)

ˈwī 

variants often Y

plural y's or ys ˈwīz 

often attributive

1

a

: the 25th letter of the English alphabet

b

: a graphic representation of this letter

c

: a speech counterpart of orthographic y

2

: a graphic device for reproducing the letter y

3

: one designated y especially as the 25th in order or class or the second in order or class when x is made the first

4

: something shaped like the letter Y

y

2 of 8

abbreviation

1

yard

2

year

Y

3 of 8

noun (2)

ˈwī 

1

: ymca

2

: ywca

Y

4 of 8

symbol

yttrium

-y

5 of 8

adjective suffix

variants or less commonly -ey

ē;

in some dialects, especially British, Southern US, and New England, often i but not shown at individual entries

1

a

: characterized by : full of

blossomy

dirty

muddy

clayey

b

: having the character of : composed of

icy

waxy

c

: like : like that of

homey

wintry

—often with a disparaging connotation

stagy

2

a

: tending or inclined to

sleepy

chatty

b

: giving occasion for (specified) action

teary

c

: performing (specified) action

curly

-y

6 of 8

noun suffix (1)

same

plural -ies

1

: state : condition : quality

difficulty

2

: activity, place of business, or goods dealt with

chandlery

laundry

3

: whole body or group

soldiery

-y

7 of 8

noun suffix (2)

plural -ies

: instance of a (specified) action

entreaty

inquiry

-y

8 of 8

noun suffix (3)

see -ie

Did you know?

Words Starting With Y

Browse 1,528 words and phrases that start with the letter Y, from yaba bark to Y-worm.

Examples of y in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a word that starts with a y

a word that starts with y

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For the uninitiated, the Model Y L is a longer version (by about 7 inches) of the Model Y and includes a third row of seats. — Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

The 22-acre property includes an outdoor pool, splash pad and water park, two gymnasiums, multiple fields, indoor track, deck hockey rink, and sand volleyball court, the Y confirmed. — Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026

Burda Principal Investments, which had also backed secondhand resale giant Vinted, led the investment with participation from eBay, FJ Labs, and H14, alongside existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, HV Capital, and Y Combinator. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 9 July 2026

That area will be the spot for players to take on Mewtwo Y and catch pocket monsters. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Since Tesla is no longer producing Model X midsize electric SUVs, the Model Y L is the only brand-new Tesla EV with a six-seat configuration on the American market. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 7 July 2026

The Best Of Lululemon’s Extended Summer Sale Flow Y Dress, $109 (orig. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 6 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective suffix

Middle English, from Old English -ig; akin to Old High German -īg -y, Latin -icus, Greek -ikos, Sanskrit -ika

Noun suffix (1)

Middle English -ie, from Anglo-French, from Latin -ia, from Greek -ia, -eia

Noun suffix (2)

Middle English -ie, from Anglo-French, from Latin -ium

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

circa 1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing y

• cringe-y
• Generation Y
• Gen Y
• the Y
• y-axis
• y-coordinate
• y-intercept

Kids Definition

y

1 of 6 noun

ˈwī

plural y's or ys

often capitalized

: the 25th letter of the English alphabet

Y

2 of 6 noun

ˈwī

1

: ymca

2

: ywca

-y

3 of 6 adjective suffix

variants also -ey

ē

-ier; -iest

1

a

: marked by : full of

blossomy

dirty

muddy

clayey

b

: composed of

icy

waxy

c

: like : like that of

homey

wintry

stagy

2

a

: tending to

sleepy

chatty

b

: causing or performing (a certain) action

teary

-y

4 of 6 noun suffix

ē

plural -ies

1

: state : condition : quality

jealousy

2

: activity, place of business, or goods dealt with

grocery

laundry

3

: whole body or group

soldiery

-y

5 of 6 noun suffix

plural -ies

: instance of a (certain) action

entreaty

inquiry

-y

6 of 6

see -ie

Etymology

Adjective suffix

Old English -ig (adjective suffix) "having the character of"

Noun suffix

derived from Greek -ia (noun suffix) "state, condition, quality"

Noun suffix

derived from Latin -ium (noun suffix) "an instance of a certain action"

Medical Definition

Y

symbol

yttrium