maybe

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

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

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -eɪbi

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).
   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

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

     Audio (US)

     (file)

3. (UK, meiosis) Certainly.

   Maybe not the best idea.

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

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

• and I don't mean maybe
• maybeish

maybe (comparative more maybe, superlative most maybe)

1. Possible; uncertain.
   • 1687, John Dryden, The Hind and the Panther, part III line 294:

     Then add those may-be years thou hast to live

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.

• perhaps

• definite maybe

• Mabey, Mbaye, abyme, beamy, embay