Advertisement
Advertisement
may
1[ mey ]
auxiliary verb
- (used to express possibility):
It may rain.
- (used to express opportunity or permission):
You may enter.
- (used to express contingency, especially in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.):
I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.
- (used to express wish or prayer):
May you live to an old age.
- Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)
may
2[ mey ]
noun
- a maiden.
May
3[ mey ]
noun
- the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.
- the early part of one's life, especially the prime:
a young woman in her May.
- the festivities of May Day.
- (lowercase) British. the hawthorn.
- a female given name.
- Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.
verb (used without object)
- (lowercase) to gather flowers in the spring:
when we were maying.
May
1/ ³¾±šÉŖ /
noun
- the fifth month of the year, consisting of 31 days
may
2/ ³¾±šÉŖ /
verb
- to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someone
he may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself
- often foll by well to indicate possibility
he may well be a spy
the rope may break
- to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questions
may I help you?
- to express a strong wish
long may she reign
- to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so that
he writes so that the average reader may understand
- another word for might 1
- to express courtesy in a question
whose child may this little girl be?
- be that as it mayin spite of that: a sentence connector conceding the possible truth of a previous statement and introducing an adversative clause
be that as it may, I still think he should come
- come what maywhatever happens
- that's as may befoll by a clause introduced by but that may be so
may
3/ ³¾±šÉŖ /
noun
- an archaic word for maiden
May
4/ ³¾±šÉŖ /
noun
- MayRobert McCredie, Baron1936MAustralianSCIENCE: biologistSCIENCE: ecologist Robert McCredie , Baron. born 1936, Australian biologist and ecologist
may
5/ ³¾±šÉŖ /
noun
- Alsomay tree a Brit name for hawthorn
- short for may blossom
Usage
Confusables Note
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of may1
Origin of may2
Origin of may3
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of may1
Origin of may2
Origin of may3
Origin of may4
Idioms and Phrases
see be that as it may ; come what may ; let the chips fall where they may ; to whom it may concern .Example Sentences
It comes as fears grow that South Sudan may again descend into civil war.
The outcome may be that there is more of an acceptance of both in Ivory Coast, allowing women to switch styles up - between natural hair and wigs and weaves.
Despite this, just a third of people sent for talking therapies are men, which may suggest that services are not doing enough to consider men's needs.
The experience of Tesla's sale slump and Canada's backlash against US goods may prove contagious.
Butland may also be sweating on his place in the team.
Advertisement
May Vs. Might
Whatās the difference between may and might?
May and might can both be used as auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) that express possibility, as in We may/might have some leftālet me check.
Traditionally, might is considered a weaker form of mayāmeaning that it expresses a lower degree of possibility that something will happen. Some people might intend to use the two words this way, but in practical terms they are often interchangeable when used in this senseāthey usually mean just about the same thing.
May and might can also both be used in the context of permission, often as whatās thought to be a more polite substitute for can, as in May/Might I use your restroom? In responses to such questions, itās usually may thatās used, as in Yes, you may. Saying might in such responses is often meant to make fun of such a use of the word in a way thatās sarcastic or that introduces a condition, usually one thatās not serious, as in Yes, you might, if you knew the password.
May is sometimes used to express a wish, as in May you have success.
Might is sometimes used to express advisability, as in You might ask before you barge in, you know.
In its auxiliary verb sense, might can also be used as the past tense of may. It may seem strange to express possibility in the past tense (now that it is known whether or not something happened), but there are plenty of cases in which it makes sense to do it, such as when itās still uncertain whether or not something could have happened, as in He might have had a chance to become CEO, but he decided to retire early or She might have come if you had actually invited her. Of course, the word may can also be used in the same way to indicate past tense (She may have come if you had actually invited her).
Hereās an example of may and might used correctly in a sentence.
Example: We might have been able to go today if it hadnāt rained, but in any case we may try to go again tomorrow.
Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between may and might.
Quiz yourself on may vs. might!
Should may or might be used in the following sentence?
_____ you have a long and happy life!
More About May
What isĢżMay?
May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It has 31 days and is between April and June.
In the Northern Hemisphere, May happens during the spring, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it happens during the autumn. In the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature generally rises throughout the month, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it generally lowers.
May is also often used as a given name, much like April, June, and August. It is typically a given name for women.
When lowercased, may is an auxiliary verb with several meanings. An auxiliary verb helps express grammatical tense, aspect, and mood. May can also indicate permission is requested or granted, as in May I have a cookie? May can also indicate possibility, as in It may rain today.
Might is the past tense form of the verb may.
Example: May is frustrating because it isnāt cold enough to be winter but it isnāt hot enough yet to be summer.
Where doesĢżMay come from?
The first records of the noun May come from before 1050. It comes from the Latin Maius mÄnsis, meaning āMaiaās month.ā The first records of the verb may come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English maeg.
Both the Greeks and Romans have a goddess named Maia. The Greek Maia is primarily associated with motherhood and nursing mothers, while the Roman Maia is the goddess of growth and maturing.
You may have heard that you shouldnāt use can to ask permission, as in Can I go outside to play? This rule has largely fallen out of fashion, however, except in the most formal writing. You may use can to ask permission.
Did you know ... ?
How isĢżMay used in real life?
May is a very common word, as the name of a month and for a person and as a verb.
I feel like this gone be a great month of May!
ā Gucci Mane (@gucci1017)
It's May Day, my day. May the force of May be with you.
ā James May (@MrJamesMay)
Happy to my glorious generous glamorous selfless mother Beverly
I know we will celebrate Motherās Day in May but even on UK Motherās Dayā¦.there is not enough space to pay tribute to every way in which you inspire me. I love you mum.ā Danielle de Niese (@Danielledeniese)
Ģż
Try usingĢżMay!
True or False?Ģż
May is named after the Roman goddess of growth, Maia.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse