maybe

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word maybe. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word maybe, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say maybe in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word maybe you have here. The definition of the word maybe will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofmaybe, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: may be

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Adverb

maybe (not comparable)

  1. Perhaps, possibly.
    A small extra effort now can maybe save you much work later.
    Maybe I was imagining it, but I could swear that the dog understood what I was saying.
  2. (as a pro-sentence) Perhaps that is true (expressing no commitment to a decision or a neutral viewpoint to a statement).
  3. (UK, meiosis) Certainly.
    Maybe not the best idea.

Usage notes

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

Synonyms

Derived terms

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.
    The results of the poll were inconclusive. We got two yeses, three nos, and four maybes.
  3. (informal) A future event that may or may not happen.
    About your raise: it's a big maybe.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Anagrams

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia