okay

See also: Okay

English

Alternative forms

• OK, O.K., okey-dokey, k, 'kay, m'kay, A-OK, otay, ok, okeh, okey, okie-dokie, kay

Etymology

A respelling of OK.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌəʊˈkeɪ/
• IPA^(key): /ˌəˈkæɪ/
• IPA^(key): /ˌoʊˈkeɪ/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ, -æɪ

Noun

okay (plural okays)

1. Alternative spelling of OK

Verb

okay (third-person singular simple present okays, present participle okaying, simple past and past participle okayed)

1. Alternative spelling of OK

Adjective

okay (comparative more okay, superlative most okay)

1. Alternative spelling of OK
   • 1869 Little Women, Part Second, by Louisa May Alcott

     One of us must marry well. Meg didn't, Jo won't, Beth can't yet, so I shall, and make everything okay all round.

Adverb

okay (comparative more okay, superlative most okay)

1. Alternative spelling of OK

Interjection

okay

1. Alternative spelling of OK

Anagrams

• kayo, oaky, yoak

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Ainu

Alternative forms

• (Saru dialect) oka

Etymology

From oka (“are”) +‎ i (nominalising suffix), literally “those which are”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ò̞ꜛkáj]

Pronoun

okay (Kana spelling オカイ)

1. they (third-person plural pronoun)

Usage notes

This word is not actually a proper pronoun, but is often used when it is absolutely necessary to point directly to a third person in conversation. The proper third-person pronoun in Ainu would be the lack of any personal pronoun at all, i.e., it has a null value.

See also

Ainu personal pronouns

person	isolated form	affix form
		nominative	objective
first	singular	kuani, kani1	ku=, k=1 (before vowels)	en=
	exclusive plural	ciokay, coka1, ciutari	ci=, c=1 =as	un=
	inclusive plural	anokay, aoka1, anutari	a=, =an	i=
second	singular	eani	e=
	plural	eciokay, ecioka1, eciutari	eci=
	singular (polite)	anokay, aoka1	a=, =an	i=
	plural (polite)	anokay, aoka1, anutari
third	singular	sinuma, anihi	∅=
	plural	okay, oka1
indefinite	singular	asinuma	a=, =an	i=
	plural	anokay, aoka1, anutari
1. Saru dialect

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from English okay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.kɛ/, /ɔ.ke/

Interjection

okay

1. OK (endorsement; approval)

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German

Alternative forms

• ok, OK
• o.k., O.K. (proscribed)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oˈkeː/, /oˈkɛɪ̯/

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

1. OK

   Synonyms: in Ordnung, d’accord, tamam

Usage notes

The spelling okay is the most frequent in German. Abbreviations (as given above) do exist, but are less common than in English.

Adverb

okay

1. OK

   Synonyms: ordentlich, annehmlich, annehmbar, zufriedenstellend

Adjective

okay (comparative okayer, superlative am okaysten)

1. (informal) OK

   Synonyms: in Ordnung, d’accord, annehmlich, annehmbar

   • 2009, Christian Y. Schmidt, Allein unter 1,3 Milliarden: Eine chinesische Reise von Shanghai bis Kathmandu, Rowohlt Verlag GmbH (→ISBN)

     Dieser Hügel ist achthundertsieben Meter hoch, und ich bin nur hochgelaufen, weil der Strand von meiner Freundin blockiert wurde, die mir gerade auf die Nerven ging. Das war noch ein halbwegs okayer Ausflug.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2016, Karin Kaçi, Jan Braren, Homevideo, Carlsen E-Books (→ISBN)

     »Jakon Moormann. Deine Slides waren schon mal besser, aber du bist ein ganz okayer Skater. Bist auch ein ganz okayer Kumpel. Und die Mädchen finden dich superokay.«

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2016 December 30, Moritz von Uslar, “Party braucht keinen König”, in Die Zeit‎^[1]:

     Die Firma Tiger of Sweden, die heute ihren Berliner Flagshipstore eröffnet, macht voll okaye, insgesamt vollkommen egale Frauen- und Männermode, wie sie in Flughafenboutiquen verkauft wird.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

The comparative and attributive use is recent and therefore not always considered grammatical.

Further reading

• “okay” in Duden online
• “okay” in Duden online

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Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English okay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oˈkei/ [oˈkei̯]

Interjection

okay

1. OK (endorsement; approval)

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.