/ˈmeɪ.bi/, [ˈmeɪ̯.bi], /mɛˈbiː/
OriginFrom an ellipsis of Middle English it may be, equivalent to may + be. Compare mayhap.
- not-comparablePerhaps, 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.”
- not-comparablePerhaps that is true (expressing no commitment to a decision or a neutral viewpoint to a statement).
“Okay. See you later, maybe. — Maybe I’ll see you later.”
- UK, not-comparableCertainly.
“Maybe not the best idea.”
- Possible; uncertain.
“Then add those may-be years thou hast to live”
- informalSomething that is possibly true.
- informalAn answer that shows neither agreement nor disagreement.
“The results of the poll were inconclusive. We got two yeses, three nos, and four maybes.”
- informalA future event that may or may not happen.
“About your raise: it's a big maybe.”
Formsmebbe(alternative, dialectal) · may-be(alternative, obsolete) · more maybe(comparative) · most maybe(superlative) · maybes(plural)