okay

The word "okay" generally means that something is good or fairly good. It’s a very popular response when someone asks you how you are doing:

• I’m okay.
• I’m doing okay. How are you?
• Okay.

There are a few slightly different meanings for this word. Sometimes "okay" means that there are no problems or that a person is safe from harm.

• The car looks okay.
• The weather is okay today.
• I saw you fall down. Are you okay?
• The doctor says that Jeanna is going to be okay.
• After the tornado passed, everyone in the town was okay.

It’s common to hear "okay" used with the preposition "with."

• Are you okay with this?
• Bob says he’s not okay with this situation. He’s very unhappy.
• I’m okay with whatever everyone else wants to do.

As an adjective that describes the condition of a situation or a thing, "okay" is neither bad nor really good. Okay indicates satisfaction or acceptance:

• This lasagna tastes okay.
• The party last night was just okay.
• I guess it’s okay if you borrow my car.
• Yeah, that’s okay.

It’s possible to use "okay" as a noun. In this case, "okay" means permission.

• Donna’s parents gave their okay when she asked them if she could go on a school trip to Washington, D.C.
• We need your okay before doing any work on your house.
• Mr. Reynolds gave his employees the okay to take a half a day off of work.

You can also use "okay" as a verb:

• Mr. Reynolds okayed the request.
• The city okays overnight parking on this street.
• The federal government has to okay the project before it can be built.

There are a couple of variations for "okay."

• okee-dokee
• a-okay

Sometimes the word "okay" is repeated. This expresses frustration or a person submits to a request:

• Okay, okay. I’ll do the dishes.
• Okay, okay. Let’s go.
• Okay, okay. Stop bothering me.
• Okay, okay.

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May 15, 2015

Updated on July 24, 2019