ay

¹

[ ey ]

adverb

, Archaic.

1. ever; always.

ay

²

[ ey ]

interjection

, Archaic.

1. (used to express regret or sorrow.)

ay

¹

/ aɪ /

sentence substitute

1. a variant spelling of aye 1

ay

²

/ eɪ /

interjection

1. archaic.
   an expression of misery or surprise

ay

³

/ eɪ /

adverb

1. archaic.
   ever; always

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

C14 ey: from an involuntary cry of surprise

Origin of ay²

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

Example Sentences

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

“Rafa’s music simply defies categorization,” says Buika, who added her smoky vocalizing to “Ay Amor,” a subtle, yet visceral marriage of flamenco and reggaetón.

From Los Angeles Times

Another person runs over to try and stop the fight and a person can be heard loudly exclaiming in the video, “Ay, que groseras” — “That was shameless.”

From Los Angeles Times