maybe

1 of 2

adverb

may·​be ˈmā-bē How to pronounce maybe (audio)
also ˈme-
Synonyms of maybenext
: perhaps

maybe

2 of 2

noun

: uncertainty

Synonyms of maybe

Relevance

Adverb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of maybe in a Sentence

Adverb maybe we can make it to the concert, if we hurry
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
We are respected again as a country, maybe like never before. — Dan Mangan,luke Fountain,kevin Breuninger,garrett Downs,ashley Capoot,justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026 Princess Diana has long been the subject of exhibitions—but maybe never one quite like this. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Noun
That's still one too many maybes when $50 million is at stake. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026 For general outdoors use, a knife is a tool for mights and maybes. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maybe

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of maybe was in the 15th century

Rhymes for maybe

See All Rhymes for maybe

Browse Nearby Words

May basket
maybe
may beetle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maybe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maybe. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

maybe

adverb
may·​be
ˈmā-bē, 
ˈmeb-ē
: perhaps

More from Merriam-Webster on maybe

Nglish: Translation of maybe for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All