Meaning & use
ofay
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableoffensive
A dated, derogatory slang word for a white person, used mainly by some Black Americans.
Grammar: Considered offensive; mostly found in historical or literary discussion.
The term ofay appears in several mid-century novels.
The professor explained that ofay was once used as a derogatory word for a white person.
Dictionaries label ofay as offensive and dated.
adjectivebefore a nounoffensiverare
Used to describe something relating to white people, in a derogatory way.
Grammar: Rare, and offensive when applied to people.
The word ofay was sometimes used as an adjective in old jazz slang.
Writers note that an ofay crowd was how some described white audiences.
Today ofay is rarely heard outside historical texts.
Word forms
| plural | ofays |
|---|
Common combinations
- the word ofay
- Scholars trace the word ofay to early twentieth-century slang.
- term ofay
- The term ofay is now dated.
- ofay in jazz slang
- Ofay appears in jazz slang from the 1940s.
- dated slang ofay
- Linguists record ofay as dated slang.
Synonyms and how they differ
- honky
- It is another offensive slur for white people and is more widely known today.
- paleface
- It is an older stereotype term, historically used in fiction, and is also dated and derogatory.
Word family
Commonly confused: ofay or okay?
ofay vs okay
Okay means all right. Ofay is unrelated, and it is an offensive dated term.
Practice
How do dictionaries usually label the word ofay?
Choose one answer.
Ofay is a derogatory term for a white person and is now dated, so it is labelled offensive and dated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ofay”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.