| 释义 |
modal verb meɪmeɪ 1Expressing possibility. Example sentencesExamples - That indeed may well be true but rather than finessing this issue it should surely be addressing it head on.
- It may be argued that state and law are not identical, and there can be states without law.
- It may be that their stories confirm the public's worst instincts about the music industry.
- Attitudes are much more difficult to identify and may only be revealed in subtle ways.
- We thought there may be traffic issues but we also identified various ways we could address them.
- That may well be true of course, though few have ever stated it so bluntly.
- The two plays may differ in style but their concern is identical, just like the twins.
- Information such as a watermark in the paper may help identify a place and date of production.
- He confirmed that failure to do so may amount to a breach of election law.
- If parents were to think about it, they may find it is their own identity they are protecting.
- Investigators said this weekend that those reports may prove to be a case of mistaken identity.
- However, this may give an insight into how the legal position was identified.
- In answering these points it may be necessary to identify the object of the contract.
- This may well be true and look at the hatred that it has generated in most Western countries.
- Part of this may be that the church is integral to national identity and tradition.
- Many of your readers may disagree, but I feel many more will identify with my observations.
- It may be difficult in such situations to identify the point in time when an arrest occurs.
- Yet their life outside may be as scarring as adult prison if their identities are ever discovered.
- Overlap of bone margins may indicate a dislocation, and a second view should confirm this.
- All of which was further confirmation that Scotland may just have a bit of a star in the making.
- 1.1 Used when admitting that something is so before making another, more important point.
they may have been old-fashioned but they were excellent teachers Example sentencesExamples - It may not have felt like it, and he may not have admitted to it, but Johnson was a pioneering force.
- They may not seem important at the time but, trust me, one day they could be more vital than a very vital thing indeed.
- It may not be important, but maybe if I put it down on paper, it'll make more sense to me.
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott may have been important but it hardly had media appeal.
- You may have a dozen important things to tell him but the moment of his arrival is not the time.
- It may be deeply important to some people but it is essentially a part of life, it doesn't govern our lives.
- The letter of the law may be important, but it appears that the punctuation is not.
- I may have to admit that you will never be my lover, but you will always be my dearest friend.
- That may not seem important to you but without her I think we'd all only read mysteries.
- She may not have admitted it out loud, but that didn't mean that she didn't know it was true.
- The first duty of any working person is to their family, however important that job may be.
2Used to ask for or to give permission. you may confirm my identity with your Case Officer, if you wish may I ask a few questions? Example sentencesExamples - The club now says his identity may not be revealed until the end of the month, but insist the deal is still on.
- None of the text or images from this site may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission.
- Of course there is a right of appeal, which in some cases may not be exercised without prior permission.
3Expressing a wish or hope. Example sentencesExamples - This time she will stay in north Derbyshire in the hope she may make contact.
- It was a beautiful starlit night and William hoped it may the start of a new life for them both.
- Enough interest was shown in this suggestion to give hope that it may be taken up.
- Nevertheless, he hopes he may only be a further week away from a return to action.
- We also know the direction in which the gunman went and we are hoping this may lead us to new witnesses.
- I just hope that you may see why I believe what I do and why it makes sense to me.
- For the moment it will have to be a honeymoon in hospital, but nurses hope that Linda may be able to go home.
- Now he is hoping other fans may follow his lead by using their expertise to aid the cash-strapped club.
- He hopes she may be of some comfort to his sister, although he wonders whether he will ever see her smile again.
- Her husband paid tribute to her as a loving family woman and hopes she may rest in the peace of God.
- It is hoped that a climbing club may be able to use the wall in the future.
- An epilogue hopes the play may at least have pleased female spectators by its depiction of a good woman.
- We are writing this because we hope other campaigns may benefit from some of the lessons that we learned.
- It is hoped the British submersible may be able to cut the submarine loose once raised to a suitable depth.
- I am writing in the hope you may be able to help me with family history research.
Usage Traditionalists insist that one should distinguish between may (present tense) and might (past tense) in expressing possibility: I may have some dessert if I'm still hungry; she might have known her killer. However, this distinction is rarely observed today, and may and might are generally acceptable in either case: she may have visited yesterday; I might go and have a cup of tea. On the difference in use between may and can, see can Phrases Despite that; nevertheless. Example sentencesExamples - It's really difficult, but be that as it may, we are able to get by with the first ship last week, and hopefully we can get that cargo out of the transit sheds and off the docks and to the market.
- But, be that as it may, let me offer my simple explanation.
- Anyway, be that as it may, I thought he was the most talented man on Earth.
- But be that as it may, if you can get instructions from someone when they are capable, that's sufficient, irrespective of whether the next day they become incapable.
- But be that as it may, that's not the important issue.
- But, be that as it may, he was bugging her, and she told him to go shove it.
- Well, anyway, be that as it may, we have to wrap up here.
- But be that as it may, they ought to be thankful they can hold those positions into the new year.
- But be that as it may, we'd no notion of bringing trouble like this down on your house.
- But be that as it may, it happened and it's yesterday's affair.
Synonyms in spite of everything, in spite of that, nonetheless, even so, however, but, still, yet, though, be that as it may, for all that, despite everything, despite that, after everything, having said that, that said, just the same, all the same, at the same time, in any event, come what may, at any rate, notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow
1Used to make an unenthusiastic suggestion. I may as well admit that I always underestimated John 2Used to indicate that a situation is the same as if the hypothetical thing stated were true. the road was open again, but may as well have remained closed, such were the delays
That may or may not be so (implying that this is not a significant consideration).
Origin Old English mæg, of Germanic origin, from a base meaning 'have power'; related to Dutch mogen and German mögen, also to main1 and might2. Rhymes affray, agley, aka, allay, Angers, A-OK, appellation contrôlée, array, assay, astray, au fait, auto-da-fé, away, aweigh, aye, bay, belay, betray, bey, Bombay, Bordet, boulevardier, bouquet, brae, bray, café au lait, Carné, cassoulet, Cathay, chassé, chevet, chez, chiné, clay, convey, Cray, crème brûlée, crudités, cuvée, cy-pres, day, decay, deejay, dégagé, distinguée, downplay, dray, Dufay, Dushanbe, eh, embay, engagé, essay, everyday, faraway, fay, fey, flay, fray, Frey, fromage frais, gainsay, Gaye, Genet, giclee, gilet, glissé, gray, grey, halfway, hay, heigh, hey, hooray, Hubei, Hué, hurray, inveigh, jay, jeunesse dorée, José, Kay, Kaye, Klee, Kray, Lae, lay, lei, Littré, Lough Neagh, lwei, Mae, maguey, Malay, Mallarmé, Mandalay, Marseilles, midday, midway, mislay, misplay, Monterrey, Na-Dene, nay, né, née, neigh, Ney, noway, obey, O'Dea, okay, olé, outlay, outplay, outstay, outweigh, oyez, part-way, pay, Pei, per se, pince-nez, play, portray, pray, prey, purvey, qua, Quai d'Orsay, Rae, rangé, ray, re, reflet, relevé, roman-à-clef, Santa Fé, say, sei, Shar Pei, shay, slay, sleigh, sley, spae, spay, Spey, splay, spray, stay, straightaway, straightway, strathspey, stray, Sui, survey, sway, Taipei, Tay, they, today, tokay, Torbay, Tournai, trait, tray, trey, two-way, ukiyo-e, underlay, way, waylay, Wei, weigh, wey, Whangarei, whey, yea noun meɪmeɪ mass nounThe hawthorn or its blossom.
Origin Late Middle English: from May. noun meɪmeɪ 1The fifth month of the year, in the northern hemisphere usually considered the last month of spring. the new model makes its showroom debut in May the full system was deployed last May Example sentencesExamples - The May half-term is a chance to get children out of the house and into the fresh air.
- I find that the coverage of recent events comes on the heels of the May ratings sweeps.
- Tour operators with summer programmes always struggle to fill the months of May and June.
- It is going to give us a good starting point for the month of May but we still have a lot of work to do as does everyone else.
- With the May elections looming, the last thing it wanted was to impose a big tax increase.
- The second week of May will be one of the driest of the year and one of the sunniest.
- She was going to jump off the rock into the cold May water and drown just like he did.
- Culture vultures are invited to work with local artists for a unique May celebration.
- I feel the month of May is the most delightful time to be out and about on the river.
- They flower from March to June and disperse mature seeds from May to July in the second year.
- The rains in April and May of that year of 1951 were not too heavy and we were able to get out a bit.
- Dormant dahlia tubers can be potted up this month to get them going before planting out in May or June.
- Bank holidays are a real menace for messing up the meat trade and the May weekend has been no exception.
- These flower from early to late May with single blooms that are finely fringed at the edges.
- The large number of bills included mean that if there is a May election most are unlikely to become law.
- It is now May, when spring is at its peak and hormones seem to have risen to a new level.
- Most of the events are free, but because of limited space the May events are ticket only.
- I was reminded of that when I turned the corner of the house this bright May morning.
- In May last year the accident-prone pony got stuck in the water before being bailed out.
- It was the month of May and in those times there was a corncrake in every field and garden.
- 1.1one's Mayliterary One's bloom or prime.
others murmured that their May was passing
Origin Late Old English, from Old French mai, from Latin Maius (mensis) '(month) of the goddess Maia'. Maia was one of the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas in Greek mythology. In Roman mythology she came to be identified with Maia Majesta, a goddess of fertility and of the spring, who is said to have given her name to the month of May. Since the late Middle Ages may has also been a name for hawthorn blossom or the hawthorn, which in Britain typically flowers in May. Many people believe that the proverb warning us not to leave off old or warm clothes until the end of May, ne'er cast a clout till May be out, refers to hawthorn blossom, but the first recorded example makes it clear that the word applies to the month. May Day has been known since the 13th century as a time for springtime festivities and the election of a pretty girl as May queen or Queen of the May to preside over them. In some countries it is now a holiday in honour of working people. The international radio distress signal Mayday is a representation of French m'aider, short for venez m'aider ‘come and help me’.
modal verbmeɪmā 1Expressing possibility. Example sentencesExamples - Attitudes are much more difficult to identify and may only be revealed in subtle ways.
- Many of your readers may disagree, but I feel many more will identify with my observations.
- It may be that their stories confirm the public's worst instincts about the music industry.
- The two plays may differ in style but their concern is identical, just like the twins.
- Overlap of bone margins may indicate a dislocation, and a second view should confirm this.
- In answering these points it may be necessary to identify the object of the contract.
- Yet their life outside may be as scarring as adult prison if their identities are ever discovered.
- That may well be true of course, though few have ever stated it so bluntly.
- Information such as a watermark in the paper may help identify a place and date of production.
- However, this may give an insight into how the legal position was identified.
- Investigators said this weekend that those reports may prove to be a case of mistaken identity.
- He confirmed that failure to do so may amount to a breach of election law.
- That indeed may well be true but rather than finessing this issue it should surely be addressing it head on.
- Part of this may be that the church is integral to national identity and tradition.
- All of which was further confirmation that Scotland may just have a bit of a star in the making.
- We thought there may be traffic issues but we also identified various ways we could address them.
- It may be argued that state and law are not identical, and there can be states without law.
- If parents were to think about it, they may find it is their own identity they are protecting.
- It may be difficult in such situations to identify the point in time when an arrest occurs.
- This may well be true and look at the hatred that it has generated in most Western countries.
- 1.1 Used when admitting that something is so before making another, more important point.
they may have been old-fashioned but they were excellent teachers Example sentencesExamples - It may not be important, but maybe if I put it down on paper, it'll make more sense to me.
- It may be deeply important to some people but it is essentially a part of life, it doesn't govern our lives.
- I may have to admit that you will never be my lover, but you will always be my dearest friend.
- They may not seem important at the time but, trust me, one day they could be more vital than a very vital thing indeed.
- You may have a dozen important things to tell him but the moment of his arrival is not the time.
- That may not seem important to you but without her I think we'd all only read mysteries.
- She may not have admitted it out loud, but that didn't mean that she didn't know it was true.
- It may not have felt like it, and he may not have admitted to it, but Johnson was a pioneering force.
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott may have been important but it hardly had media appeal.
- The first duty of any working person is to their family, however important that job may be.
- The letter of the law may be important, but it appears that the punctuation is not.
2Expressing permission. may I ask a few questions? you may use a sling if you wish Example sentencesExamples - Of course there is a right of appeal, which in some cases may not be exercised without prior permission.
- The club now says his identity may not be revealed until the end of the month, but insist the deal is still on.
- None of the text or images from this site may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission.
3Expressing a wish or hope. Example sentencesExamples - He hopes she may be of some comfort to his sister, although he wonders whether he will ever see her smile again.
- I am writing in the hope you may be able to help me with family history research.
- Enough interest was shown in this suggestion to give hope that it may be taken up.
- It is hoped the British submersible may be able to cut the submarine loose once raised to a suitable depth.
- Nevertheless, he hopes he may only be a further week away from a return to action.
- It is hoped that a climbing club may be able to use the wall in the future.
- Now he is hoping other fans may follow his lead by using their expertise to aid the cash-strapped club.
- For the moment it will have to be a honeymoon in hospital, but nurses hope that Linda may be able to go home.
- Her husband paid tribute to her as a loving family woman and hopes she may rest in the peace of God.
- This time she will stay in north Derbyshire in the hope she may make contact.
- An epilogue hopes the play may at least have pleased female spectators by its depiction of a good woman.
- I just hope that you may see why I believe what I do and why it makes sense to me.
- It was a beautiful starlit night and William hoped it may the start of a new life for them both.
- We also know the direction in which the gunman went and we are hoping this may lead us to new witnesses.
- We are writing this because we hope other campaigns may benefit from some of the lessons that we learned.
Usage Traditionalists insist that one should distinguish between may (present tense) and might (past tense) in expressing possibility: I may have some dessert if I'm still hungry; she might have known her killer. However, this distinction is rarely observed today, and may and might are generally acceptable in either case: she may have visited yesterday; I might go and have a cup of tea. On the difference in use between may and can, see can Phrases Despite that; nevertheless. Example sentencesExamples - But be that as it may, if you can get instructions from someone when they are capable, that's sufficient, irrespective of whether the next day they become incapable.
- But be that as it may, they ought to be thankful they can hold those positions into the new year.
- It's really difficult, but be that as it may, we are able to get by with the first ship last week, and hopefully we can get that cargo out of the transit sheds and off the docks and to the market.
- But be that as it may, we'd no notion of bringing trouble like this down on your house.
- But be that as it may, that's not the important issue.
- Well, anyway, be that as it may, we have to wrap up here.
- But be that as it may, it happened and it's yesterday's affair.
- But, be that as it may, he was bugging her, and she told him to go shove it.
- But, be that as it may, let me offer my simple explanation.
- Anyway, be that as it may, I thought he was the most talented man on Earth.
Synonyms in spite of everything, in spite of that, nonetheless, even so, however, but, still, yet, though, be that as it may, for all that, despite everything, despite that, after everything, having said that, that said, just the same, all the same, at the same time, in any event, come what may, at any rate, notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow
1Used to make an unenthusiastic suggestion. I may as well admit that I always underestimated John 2Used to indicate that a situation is the same as if the hypothetical thing stated were true. the road was open again, but may as well have remained closed, such were the delays
Origin Old English mæg, of Germanic origin, from a base meaning ‘have power’; related to Dutch mogen and German mögen, also to main and might. nounmāmeɪ The hawthorn or its blossom.
Origin Late Middle English: from May. nounmāmeɪ 1The fifth month of the year, in the northern hemisphere usually considered the last month of spring. the new model makes its showroom debut in May as modifier a May morning Example sentencesExamples - Bank holidays are a real menace for messing up the meat trade and the May weekend has been no exception.
- The May half-term is a chance to get children out of the house and into the fresh air.
- With the May elections looming, the last thing it wanted was to impose a big tax increase.
- Most of the events are free, but because of limited space the May events are ticket only.
- She was going to jump off the rock into the cold May water and drown just like he did.
- The rains in April and May of that year of 1951 were not too heavy and we were able to get out a bit.
- Tour operators with summer programmes always struggle to fill the months of May and June.
- It is going to give us a good starting point for the month of May but we still have a lot of work to do as does everyone else.
- I feel the month of May is the most delightful time to be out and about on the river.
- In May last year the accident-prone pony got stuck in the water before being bailed out.
- I was reminded of that when I turned the corner of the house this bright May morning.
- These flower from early to late May with single blooms that are finely fringed at the edges.
- Dormant dahlia tubers can be potted up this month to get them going before planting out in May or June.
- They flower from March to June and disperse mature seeds from May to July in the second year.
- It is now May, when spring is at its peak and hormones seem to have risen to a new level.
- It was the month of May and in those times there was a corncrake in every field and garden.
- I find that the coverage of recent events comes on the heels of the May ratings sweeps.
- Culture vultures are invited to work with local artists for a unique May celebration.
- The large number of bills included mean that if there is a May election most are unlikely to become law.
- The second week of May will be one of the driest of the year and one of the sunniest.
- 1.1usually one's Mayliterary One's bloom or prime.
others murmured that their May was passing
Origin Late Old English, from Old French mai, from Latin Maius (mensis) ‘(month) of the goddess Maia’. |