Spanish word

guay

Pronunciation

IPA/gwaj/

Meaning

  • adjectivecool

Example

Ese coche es guay.

That car is cool.

Illustration for guay (cool)

More examples

¡Qué guay que viniste!

How cool that you came!

Core concept

Friends cheering together.

Common phrases

  • qué guay

    how cool

Similar words

genial: Feels like a warm, sincere compliment expressing fondness and approval.
fantástico: Feels like enthusiastic praise that highlights surprise and notably high quality.
molón: Feels like informal youth speech used to call something especially cool or trendy.
chévere: Feels like casual Latin American praise that conveys friendly enjoyment and approval.

Definition in Spanish

Indica aprobación o entusiasmo por algo o alguien en situaciones coloquiales, transmitiendo una valoración positiva y ligera.

Word origin

Developed as Spanish youth slang during the 20th century, with some researchers proposing links to Caló Romani while others view it as an internal slang formation.

Usage tips

  • Used for people, things, and situations; "estar guay" usually marks temporary approval while "ser guay" describes a person as being cool.

Other meanings

  • niceadjective
  • awesomeadjective
  • goodadjective

Opposites

  • cutreuncooladjective

Word lists with this word