Meanings
ayo1
- USslangA greeting.
Ayo Toine, you think they'd put me down?
2007, Tony J. Ward, Jr., I've Got to Make It to Heaven for Going Through Hell: Part 1, page 395 more examples
"Ayo, Red. It's the homie Spits on the jack for you, blood." "Ayo, homeboy," said Red as he excitedly picked up the telephone receiver. "What's up, fool?"
2004, Michael Daniel Baptiste, Cracked Dreams, page 73“Ayo, wassup, girl,” he said to Keisha as he continued to walk toward the back area where I stood. […] “Ayo, wassup, playa?
2007, Reginald L. Hall, In Love with a Thug, page 38"Ayo, fam, you a'ight down there?" Victorious's cell mate asked.
2007, Nikki Turner, Christmas in the Hood, page 289"Ayo, ma, where you going?" a dude asked her as she walked by him.
2008, Treasure Hernandez, Resurrection, page 106"Ayo, Kalil!" a man's voice said from amidst the crowd. Kalil looked up and saw his lil' man, Peanut, distributing packets of heroin and taking money from the fiends.
2008, Ashley JaQuavis, The Trophy Wife, page 103 - USslangUsed to indicate shock towards sth esp. of a disapproving manner.
- USslangextensivelyUsed to imply that what was said is inappropriate, perhaps sexually so.
Ayo, what'd you just say?
Synonyms: hold up
ayo2
- AfricaWestuncountableA type of mancala strategy game played by the Yoruba.
AYO3
- InternetabbreviationinitialismInitialism of are you OK?.
Synonyms & antonyms
interjectionUsed to imply that what was said is inappropriate, perhaps sexually so.
Origin
ayo · noun
- Yorubaayò
- Englishayo
From Yoruba ayò, an abridged form of ayò ọlọ́pọ́n.
More words from Yoruba
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ayo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ayo
“ayo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ayo. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ayo,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ayo.
Source: ayo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.