okay
okay — exclamation
1. a word you say when someone asks you to do something or makes a suggestion and y
a word you say when someone asks you to do something or makes a suggestion and you want to say yes
Okay, I'll pick you up from the station at six.
exclamation showing agreement to a plan
Okay, you can borrow my bicycle for the afternoon.
Ari asked if he could leave early and Elena said okay.
When the captain suggested a detour, the crew replied, "Okay, let's do it!"
- no
direct refusal instead of agreement
用法筆記
Can be repeated ("Okay, okay, I'm coming!") to show slight impatience or urgency.
2. said to show that you have heard what someone told you and you understand it
said to show that you have heard what someone told you and you understand it
Okay, I see what you mean about the design now.
followed by confirmation of understanding
Okay, so you want me to email the report before noon — got it.
Feng explained the route twice before Megan finally said okay.
Okay, I realize now that I made a mistake on the invoice.
用法筆記
Often followed by a restatement of what you understood, to confirm accuracy: 'Okay, so you mean…'
3. said to show that you are ready to start doing something or to move to the next
said to show that you are ready to start doing something or to move to the next activity
Okay, let us begin the warm-up exercises before the coach arrives for training.
transition signal to start a new activity
Okay, everyone turn to page forty-two in your books.
Rafael clapped his hands and said, okay, time to clean up.
Okay, time to pack up the camping gear and head back to the site.
用法筆記
Functions like a marker to shift from talking to doing. Common in classrooms, meetings, and group activities.
4. a word you say during a conversation when you need a moment to find the right wo
a word you say during a conversation when you need a moment to find the right words to continue
I was thinking, okay, that maybe we should paint the kitchen yellow instead.
filler word mid-sentence while thinking
The plan is, okay, we drive to the lake and then rent a boat for the day.
We could, okay, try a completely different approach to the problem.
The real problem, okay, is that nobody told us about the deadline change.
用法筆記
Does not carry meaning — it simply holds your place in a sentence while you gather your thoughts. More common in casual speech than in writing.
okay — adjective
1. something that everyone involved has accepted as fine or convenient
something that everyone involved has accepted as fine or convenient
Is it okay if I open the window?
question pattern: 'Is it okay if…'
It is okay with me if you want to leave before the end of the film.
pattern: 'okay with [person]'
Femi checked with Ziad to make sure Saturday afternoon was okay for the barbecue.
Is it okay with your parents if we have the party at your house?
- alright
interchangeable in British English
- fine
slightly more formal
- acceptable
more formal; used in official contexts
- unacceptable
formal opposite meaning 'not allowed'
用法筆記
Usually appears in questions ('Is it okay if…?', 'Is that okay with you?') or negative statements ('It's not okay to…'). Rarely used in affirmative statements about plans.
常見錯誤
2. in a good enough condition; working or happening as it should
in a good enough condition; working or happening as it should
My computer is working okay again after the repair.
describes condition: 'working okay'
The children are okay — they just have a mild cold.
Élise checked on her grandmother and said everything was okay.
Eitan checked the tyre pressure and said everything was okay for the long drive.
用法筆記
Frequently used in questions to check on someone's wellbeing: 'Are you okay?' Also common in negative form ('not okay') to mean 'not in a good state.'
3. good enough for a particular purpose but not especially good or impressive
good enough for a particular purpose but not especially good or impressive
The film was okay, but I would not pay to watch it again.
concessive pattern: 'okay but [not great]'
Leo thought the pizza was okay but preferred the pasta dish.
Her first draft was okay, nothing special, so she rewrote it.
The weather was okay for a picnic, even though the sky looked cloudy.
用法筆記
Sounds lukewarm or slightly disappointed. If someone asks 'How was the concert?' and you say 'It was okay,' you imply it was not great.
常見錯誤
okay — adverb
1. in a way that is good enough but not excellent
in a way that is good enough but not excellent
The engine runs okay now that the mechanic has replaced the spark plugs.
adverb after verb: 'runs okay'
Faisal played okay in the match but missed two easy shots.
The children slept okay despite the thunderstorm outside.
The old radio works okay if you adjust the antenna properly.
- satisfactorily
more formal; means the same
- adequately
more formal; suggests bare minimum
- alright
interchangeable in informal British English
- badly
opposite meaning — poorly done
用法筆記
Modifies verbs describing performance, functioning, or behaviour. Cannot be used before adjectives (do not say 'okay good').
常見錯誤
okay — verb
1. to give your official agreement or permission for a plan, request, or action to
to give your official agreement or permission for a plan, request, or action to go ahead
The manager okayed our request for new office chairs.
past tense: okayed
Has the school board okayed the new timetable for next term?
Christopher okayed the final design before the team sent it to the printer.
The landlord okayed the changes we wanted to make to the kitchen.
- approve
more formal; used in official procedures
- authorize
formal; implies official permission with authority
- greenlight
informal; means the same, often used in media and business
文法句型
okay + noun phrase
用法筆記
The past tense is usually spelled 'okayed' (or sometimes 'OK'd'). Used mostly in workplace and administrative contexts. More informal than 'approve' or 'authorize.'
常見錯誤
okay — noun
1. permission or agreement for something to happen or be done
permission or agreement for something to happen or be done
We need to get the okay from the supervisor before we order new supplies.
pattern: 'get the okay from [someone]'
Ilan received the okay to book the flights for the team.
The committee gave their okay to the fundraising proposal.
Soraya is waiting for the okay from her university before she books the flight.
- approval
more formal; used in official contexts
- go-ahead
informal; means the same, common in business
- green light
idiomatic; means permission to proceed
用法筆記
Always used with a determiner ('the okay', 'an okay', 'their okay'). Common in workplace and travel contexts. More informal than 'approval' or 'authorization.'