Mebbe

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. It is an informal term expressing doubt or likelihood, indicating that something might occur without certainty
2. This expression conveys a relaxed or hesitant attitude toward a future event, denoting uncertainty
3. Used informally to suggest something may happen or be true, but without full confidence

Etymology: "Mebbe" is a pronunciation spelling of "maybe," the informal way of writing the sound people actually make in speech, with the weak middle syllable reduced until it nearly vanishes. The word it spells is itself a shortened form. "Maybe" comes from an ellipsis of Middle English "it may be," where the "it" dropped away and the phrase compressed into a single adverb meaning "perhaps." That compression left a trace in the older phrase "mayhap," which kept more of the original structure with "hap," meaning chance or fortune, and which now sounds archaic. "Maybe" went the other way, becoming the everyday hedge, and "mebbe" simply records how that hedge is spoken in casual talk.

Synonyms: maybe, perhaps

Antonyms: definitely, certainly