Gey

Gey is a word used in Scots English as an intensifier meaning very or extremely. It functions as an adverb that strengthens the adjective or adverb it precedes, and it is most common in informal speech and writing in Scotland.

In use, gey typically appears directly before the word it modifies. Examples include phrases like gey big, gey fast, or gey good. It is often heard in everyday conversation and can be found in Scottish literature and media, where speakers aim for dialectal color or emphasis. A typical example is the sentence “It’s gey cauld the nicht,” meaning “It’s very cold tonight.”

Etymology and status: The origin of gey is not definitively established. It is a long-standing part of Scots language and Scottish English and is recognized as a regional dialect term. In standard, formal English writing, gey is usually not used, and speakers outside Scotland may not recognize it without context. Dictionaries of Scots and regional language guides commonly list gey with meanings such as “very” or “extremely.”

See also: Scots language and Scottish English. Note that gey is distinct from terms in other languages and does not have a direct one-to-one equivalent in Standard English beyond the general intensifier meanings.