GamesDaily CrosswordWord PuzzleWord FinderAll gamesFeaturedWord of the DayWord of the YearNew wordsLanguage storiesAll featuredCultureSlangEmojiMemesAcronymsGender and sexualityAll cultureWriting tipsWriting hubGrammar essentialsCommonly confusedAll writing tipsGamesFeaturedCultureWriting tipsSkip toSkip toY1noun (5)-y2Definitions (1)Y3abbreviation (1)-y4Definitions (1)Y5abbreviation (1)-y6Definitions (1)Y7Definitions (5)y8Definitions (2)y-9Definitions (1)y.10abbreviation (2)AdvertisementView synonyms for AmericanBritishY1Or y[wahy]Phonetic (Standard)IPAnounplural Y's, Ys, y's, ys. the 25th letter of the English alphabet, a semivowel.any spoken sound represented by the letter Y or y, as in yet, city, or rhythm.something having the shape of a Y .a written or printed representation of the letter Y or y.a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter Y or y.-y2a native English suffix of adjectives meaning “characterized by or inclined to” the substance or action of the word or stem to which the suffix is attached: juicy; grouchy; rumbly; dreamy. Sometimes used to mean “allowing, fostering, or bringing about” the specified action: sippy.Y3[wahy]Phonetic (Standard)IPAabbreviationInformal. the Y, the YMCA, YWCA, YMHA, or YWHA.-y4Also -iea noun-forming suffix with a variety of functions in contemporary English, added to monosyllabic bases to create words that are almost always informal. Its earliest use, probably still productive, was to form endearing or familiar names or common nouns from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives (Billy; Susie; birdie; doggie; granny; sweetie; tummy ). The feature is absent in recent coinages, however, which are simply informal and sometimes pejorative (boonies; cabby; groupie; hippy; looie; Okie; preemie; preppy; rookie ). Another function of -y2 -ie is the formation from adjectives of nouns that denote exemplary or extreme instances of the quality named by the adjective (baddie; biggie; cheapie; toughie ), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usually unfavorable sense of the adjective (sharpie; sickie; whitey ). A few words in which the informal character of -y2 -ie has been lost are now standard in formal written English (goalie; movie ).Y5abbreviation.-y6a suffix of various origins used in the formation of action nouns from verbs (inquiry ), also found in other abstract nouns.carpentry; infamy.Y7Symbol.the 25th in order or in a series.(sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 150.Electricity. . Sometimes yChemistry. .Biochemistry. .y8Symbol, Mathematics.an unknown quantity.(in Cartesian coordinates) the y-axis.y-9Also i-a prefix occurring in certain obsolete words (ywis ) and especially in archaic past participles.yclad.y.10abbreviationyard; yards.year; years.Y1symbolany unknown, unspecified, or variable factor, number, person, or thingchem yttriumcurrencyyenyuan“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012y2/ waɪ /nounthe 25th letter of the modern English alphabeta speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually a semivowel, as in yawn, or a vowel, as in symbol or shysomething shaped like a Y( in combination )a Y-cross“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012-y3suffix(from nouns) characterized by; consisting of; filled with; relating to; resemblingsunnysandysmokyclassy(from verbs) tending to; acting or existing as specifiedleakyshiny“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012-y4suffixdenoting smallness and expressing affection and familiaritya doggya grannyJamiea person or thing concerned with or characterized by beinga groupiea fatty“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012-y5suffix(from verbs) indicating the act of doing what is indicated by the verbal elementinquiry(esp with combining forms of Greek, Latin, or French origin) indicating state, condition, or qualitygeographyjealousy“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012y6symbolthe y- axis or a coordinate measured along the y- axis in a Cartesian coordinate systeman algebraic variable“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Y.7abbreviationYMCA or YWCA“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012y.8abbreviationyear“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Discover MoreWord History and OriginsOrigin of Y1Old English -ig; cognate with German -ig; compare perhaps Latin -icus, Greek -ikosOrigin of Y2From late Middle English (Scots), originally in names; of uncertain origin; and , now felt as having this suffix, may be of different derivationOrigin of Y3Representing Latin -ia, -ium; Greek -ia, -eia, -ion; French -ie; German -ieOrigin of Y4Middle English y-, i- (reduced variant a- ), Old English ge-, prefix with perfective, intensifying, or collective force; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon ge-, gi-, Gothic ga-, German ge-; compare perhaps Latin com- Discover MoreWord History and OriginsOrigin of Y1from Old English -ig, -ǣgOrigin of Y2C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie ( James )Origin of Y3from Old French -ie, from Latin -iaAdvertisementDiscover MoreRelated Words AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrowse#aabbccddeeffgghhiijjkkllmmnnooppqqrrssttuuvvwwxxyyzzContact usDo not sell my infoFollow usGet the Word of the Day every day!Sign upBy clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com © 2025 Dictionary.com, LLC, Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube., Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide..