Meaning & use
Ay
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An exclamation expressing sorrow, pity, or surprise; also a dialectal or archaic variant of "aye," meaning yes.
See it in a sentence
"Ay me!" she sighed, watching the ship disappear over the horizon.
"Will you come with us?" "Ay, I will," he answered.
A note on using this word
Common in older English poetry and drama, where "ay me" was a stock expression of lament.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adverb
Dialectal or archaic form of "aye," meaning yes.
"Ay, that's the truth of it," the old sailor said.
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