yay
/jeɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [jˈe] /jeɪ/ (ame, ipa)
yay — exclamation
1. a cry you give when good news or a small success makes you feel suddenly happy a
a cry you give when good news or a small success makes you feel suddenly happy and excited.
Yay! Nia found her passport five minutes before the taxi came.
standalone exclamation after sudden good news
When the teacher cancelled the quiz, the whole class shouted yay.
shout yay after welcome news
Yay, Minho whispered, our team made it into the final.
Andrew threw both arms up and yelled yay at the finish line.
The children all cried yay when the ice cream truck stopped outside.
文法句型
yay!
yay for + noun
用法筆記
Mostly used in speech, texts, and playful online writing. It often sounds lighter and more childlike than 'hooray'. Unlike the adverb sense, this one is a reaction to good news, not a way to show size or amount.
常見錯誤
yay — adverb
1. used informally, often with a hand movement, to mean 'this much' when showing si
used informally, often with a hand movement, to mean 'this much' when showing size, height, distance, or amount.
The fisherman held his hands apart and said the trout was yay long.
yay + adjective of size, typically with hand gesture
Mina held up her sketchbook and asked if the frame could be yay wide.
yay + wide to show a measured width
The vet said the puppy was only yay high when it arrived.
Tariq stretched his arms to show the table was yay big.
文法句型
yay + adjective of size
yay big / yay high / yay long / yay wide
用法筆記
Almost always spoken rather than formal writing. Speakers usually move their hands apart or upward while saying it, and it is most common before words about size such as 'big', 'high', 'wide', and 'long'. Unlike the exclamation sense, it does not express joy.