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Forever vs Ay - What's the difference?

forever | ay | Synonyms |

Ay is a synonym of forever.



As adverbs the difference between forever and ay

is that forever is for all time, for all eternity; for an infinite amount of time while ay is always; ever.

As nouns the difference between forever and ay

is that forever is an extremely long time while ay is an alternative spelling of nodot=yes lang=en ("yes".

As an interjection ay is

ah! alas.

As an adjective ay is

for an indefinite time.

forever

English

Alternative forms

* for ever

Adverb

(-)
  • (duration) for all time, for all eternity; for an infinite amount of time.
    • ''I shall love you forever .
  • * 1839 , Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy Page 95
    • Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever , unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion.
  • (duration, colloquial) for a very long time, 'an' eternity.
    • ''We had to wait forever to get inside.
  • (frequency) constantly or frequently.
    • ''You are forever nagging me.
  • * 1912 : (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 5
    • Early in his boyhood he had learned to form ropes by twisting and tying long grasses together, and with these he was forever tripping Tublat or attempting to hang him from some overhanging branch.

    Usage notes

    * In the United Kingdom and most of the Commonwealth, the spelling for ever'' may be used instead of ''forever'' for the senses "for all time" and "for a long time". In Canada and the United States, generally only ''forever is used, regardless of sense.

    Synonyms

    * always * continually * eternally * evermore * for good * forevermore * for ever more * incessantly * until Kingdom come

    Derived terms

    * foreverness

    Related terms

    * everlasting * every * everyday * never * nevermore * whatever * whenever * whoever

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An extremely long time.
  • *
  • * 2007 , Ruth O'Callaghan, Where acid has etched
    • In the airport, holiday lovers kiss, mouth forevers , the usual argot betrays you. Desire makes love dull.
  • (colloquial) a mythical time in the infinite future that will never come.
    • ''Sure, I'd be happy to meet with you on the 12th of forever .

    ay

    English

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • Ah! alas!
  • ("yes")
  • * 1883 , (Howard Pyle), (The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood)
  • *:"Good morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth Robin, "thou seemest happy this merry morn."
  • *:"Ay , that am I," quoth the jolly Butcher, "and why should I not be so? Am I not hale in wind and limb? Have I not the bonniest lass in all Nottinghamshire? And lastly, am I not to be married to her on Thursday next in sweet Locksley Town?"
  • (question tag)

    • Adverb

    (-)
  • Always; ever.
  • * 1670 , John Barbour, The Acts and Life of the most victorious Conquerour Robert Bruce King of Scotland'', as cited in 1860, Thomas Corser, ''Collectanea Anglo-poetica , page 160
    • O he that hath ay lived free, [...]

    Alternative forms

    * aye

    Adjective

    (-)
  • For an indefinite time.

    • Synonyms

    * always * continually * forever

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • ("yes")
    • counting the ays and the noes in a vote

    See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * English two-letter words ----