English Reference

Word

yay

/ˈjeɪ/

Definition

n. a slang name for the drug cocaine.

n. a slang term for cocaine, specifically in powder or crack form.

Examples

“Yay, we finally finished the project!”

“I just found out we have tomorrow off, so yay for a long weekend!”

“While some might find the use of 'yay' overly simplistic in professional emails, it serves as an effective, high-energy marker of team success in casual digital communication.”

Examples

simple

“Yay, we finally finished the project!”

contextual

“I just found out we have tomorrow off, so yay for a long weekend!”

complex

“While some might find the use of 'yay' overly simplistic in professional emails, it serves as an effective, high-energy marker of team success in casual digital communication.”

Usage

Uncountable noun used primarily in urban or hip-hop contexts.

Teaching tip

Learners should be aware of this meaning to understand song lyrics or films, but should avoid using it themselves.

Etymology

Alteration of yea (“yes; even, truly, verily”). More at yea.

Clipping of yayo, from Spanish llello.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Synonyms

Related words

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Frequent
Updated
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American English, Slang

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English Reference