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guay. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
guay, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
guay in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
guay you have here. The definition of the word
guay will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
guay, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Ladino
Interjection
guay (Latin spelling, Hebrew spelling גואי)
- woe!
Derived terms
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɡwai/
- Rhymes: -ai
- Syllabification: guay
Etymology 1
Unknown, maybe related to French gai, Italian gaio, English gay, of Germanic origin, or from Arabic كُوَيِّس (kuwayyis, “good”).
Interjection
guay
- (Spain) cool, terrific
Adjective
guay m or f (masculine and feminine plural guay or guais)
- (Spain, colloquial) cool, terrific
- Synonyms: chachi, bacán, chévere, chido; see also Thesaurus:guay
Usage notes
- This adjective is most often treated as invariable, with the form guay being used regardless of gender or number; however, the plural form guais is also often found. Hence, “They're very cool” may be expressed either as son muy guay or as son muy guais.
Adverb
guay
- (Spain, slang) cool, terrific
Usage notes
Etymology 2
Inherited from Old Spanish guay (“woe”), from Latin vae (“woe”) or Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai, “woe”), the latter from Proto-Germanic *wai, both from Proto-Indo-European *wai. Cognate with Portuguese guai, Catalan guai and Italian guai.
Interjection
guay
- (obsolete) woe! (expresses grief)
- Synonym: ay
Further reading