Mayday
1 of 2communications signal
May·day
ˈmā-ˌdā 
—used as a distress call in international radio-telephone communications
: May 1 celebrated as a springtime festival and in some countries as Labor Day
Examples of Mayday in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Many stock markets across the world were closed Friday for the the May Day holiday.
—Michelle Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Chicagoans celebrated May Day on May 1, also known as International Workers’ Day, with performances, rallies and marches all over the city, from Union Park to Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
—Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
Gary Wilcox, a member of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, concluded his opening remarks at the May Day protest with a blessing of the Miccosukee Tribe’s land, which is adjacent to the makeshift immigration detention camp, saying real suffering is happening to those being caged under the tents.
—Churchill Ndonwie
may 2, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
The tightening of sanctions comes as Raúl Castro, the former president, made a rare public appearance Friday during Cuba's May Day parade.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 2 May 2026
May 1, known as May Day and widely celebrated by labor unions across the United States, is, in part, tied to the May 4, 1886, Haymarket Affair in Chicago.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
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Noun
Coplon made a short commute to downtown Portland, Maine, to attend a May Day rally.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Many stock markets across the world were closed Friday for the the May Day holiday.
—Michelle Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Chicagoans celebrated May Day on May 1, also known as International Workers’ Day, with performances, rallies and marches all over the city, from Union Park to Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
—Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
Gary Wilcox, a member of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, concluded his opening remarks at the May Day protest with a blessing of the Miccosukee Tribe’s land, which is adjacent to the makeshift immigration detention camp, saying real suffering is happening to those being caged under the tents.
—Churchill Ndonwie
may 2, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
The tightening of sanctions comes as Raúl Castro, the former president, made a rare public appearance Friday during Cuba's May Day parade.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 2 May 2026
May 1, known as May Day and widely celebrated by labor unions across the United States, is, in part, tied to the May 4, 1886, Haymarket Affair in Chicago.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mayday.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mayday. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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