maybe
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may·be
(mā′bē)adv.
Used to indicate uncertainty or possibility: We should maybe take a different route. Maybe it won't rain.
n. Informal
1. An uncertainty: There are so many maybes involved in playing the stock market.
2. An uncertain reply: It's better to receive a fast and honest no than a drawn-out maybe.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
maybe
(ˈmeɪˌbiː)adv
a. perhaps
b. (as sentence modifier): maybe I'll come tomorrow.
sentence substitute
possibly; neither yes nor no
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
may•be
(ˈmeɪ bi)adv., n., pl. -bes. adv.
1. perhaps; possibly: Maybe I'll go too.
n. 2. a possibility or uncertainty.
[1375–1425; late Middle English may be, short for it may be]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
maybe
– perhapsYou use maybe or perhaps to indicate that something is possible, although you are not certain about it. There is no difference in meaning between these words.
Maybe he was wrong.
Perhaps Andrew is right after all.
Maybe is normally used only at the beginning of a clause.
Maybe he'll be prime minister one day.
I do think about having children, maybe when I'm 40.
Perhaps can be used in other positions in a clause.
If you live in the country, you can, perhaps, profit by buying and freezing local produce.
The Allies had better luck, perhaps, than they deserved.
It was perhaps Ellen's unconventional approach to life that made her such a great actress.
Be Careful!
Do not confuse maybe (/meɪbiː/) with may be (/meɪ biː/). May be is used in sentences such as 'He may be the best person for the job'.
See might - may
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Adv. | 1. |  maybe - by chance; "perhaps she will call tomorrow"; "we may possibly run into them at the concert"; "it may peradventure be thought that there never was such a time" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
maybe
adverb perhaps, possibly, it could be, conceivably, perchance (archaic), mayhap (archaic), peradventure (archaic) Maybe he sincerely wanted to help.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
maybe
adverbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
maybe
[ˈmeɪbiː] ADV → a lo mejor, quizá(s), tal vezmaybe he'll come tomorrow → a lo mejor viene mañana, puede que or quizá(s) or tal vez venga mañana
maybe I should grow a moustache → a lo mejor debería dejarme bigote
there were maybe ten people in the room → habría unas diez personas en la habitación
maybe, maybe not → puede que sí, puede que no, a lo mejor sí, a lo mejor no
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
maybe
(ˈmeibiː) adverbKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
maybe
→ quizáMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
maybe
adv. quizás, tal vez.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012