ayah

noun

Definition of ayahnext
as in amah

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ayah This was a place where other Asians also found a home, notably lascars from India and East Africa, and ayahs abandoned by their English employers after the long sea voyage. — Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ayah
  1. amah
  2. nurse
  3. nanny
Noun
  • In colonial days, many families had a lifelong helper known as an amah (after the Portuguese word for nurse).
    — Time, Time, 23 Jan. 2018
Definition of amah
Noun
  • The night nurse took over and taught him how to swaddle the baby, whose name was written on the dry-erase board across from the bed.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Helen, a nurse in the Department of Vascular Surgery, waded through a flood of calls and messages; the numbers always grew thick over the weekend.
    — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of nurse
Noun
  • There’s always somebody cleaning, a chef, nannies, assistants.
    — Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly 8% of families are spending more than $2,000 per month on childcare services, including daycare, nanny services and other programs.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of nanny

Browse Nearby Words

ay
ayah
ayahs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ayah.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ayah. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ayah

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ayah

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All