ay

¹

[ey]

adverb

Archaic.

1. ever; always.

ay

²

[ey]

interjection

Archaic.

1. (used to express regret or sorrow.)

ay

¹

/ eɪ /

adverb

1. archaic,  ever; always

ay

²

/ eɪ /

interjection

1. archaic,  an expression of misery or surprise

ay

³

/ aɪ /

1. a variant spelling of aye 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of ay¹

1150–1200; Middle English ei, ai < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse ei, cognate with Old English ā ever

Origin of ay²

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Word History and Origins

Origin of ay¹

C12 ai, from Old Norse ei; related to Old English ā always, Latin aevum an age, Greek aiōn

Origin of ay²

C14 ey: from an involuntary cry of surprise

Example Sentences

The workers did their calisthenics, and Antonio Lopez called out before they raced down the field: “Ay que Dios los ayude.”

From Los Angeles Times

Burn, ay 6 feet 7 inches, fits the bill, while Rogers combines raw power with natural skill and strong running.

From BBC

Consistent hits like his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay, “6 AM,” and “Ay Vamos,” the first video to reach a billion YouTube views by a “Latin urban/reggaeton artist,” put him on the frontlines of the genre at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

His chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist had still to heal, he said, and he was staying ay home a lot more because he was nervous "in case someone bangs into" him.

From BBC

Like, “Ay, man, if Greg don’t figure this out, man, I don’t know what to tell him at this point. He’s my boy, but he gotta get with it. To tell you the truth, one of the things that Quinta and I enjoy the most is knowing we’re going to frustrate people. Like, “They’re going to hate this.

From Los Angeles Times