maybe

English Online Dictionary. What means maybe‎? What does maybe mean?

English

Alternative forms

• mebbe (dialectal)
• may-be (obsolete)

Etymology

From an ellipsis of Middle English it may be, equivalent to may +‎ be. Compare mayhap.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: mā'bē, IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪbi/, [ˈmeɪ̯bi]
• Rhymes: -eɪbi

Adverb

maybe (not comparable)

1. Perhaps, possibly.

2. (as a pro-sentence) Perhaps that is true (expressing no commitment to a decision or a neutral viewpoint to a statement).
   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Okay. See you later, maybe. — Maybe I’ll see you later.

3. (UK, meiosis) Certainly.

Usage notes

• Do not confuse maybe with the verb construction may be: "Maybe that's true", but "That may be true".

Synonyms

• (perhaps): mayhaps, peradventure, perhaps, possibly
• (as a pro-sentence): could be, mayhaps, might be, perhaps, possibly, that’s possible

Derived terms

• and I don't mean maybe
• maybeish

Translations

Adjective

maybe (comparative more maybe, superlative most maybe)

1. Possible; uncertain.

Noun

maybe (plural maybes)

1. (informal) Something that is possibly true.
2. (informal) An answer that shows neither agreement nor disagreement.

3. (informal) A future event that may or may not happen.

Synonyms

• perhaps

Derived terms

• definite maybe

Anagrams

• Mabey, Mbaye, abyme, beamy, embay