adj · name · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/məˈleɪ̯/
UK:/meɪ̯ˈleɪ̯/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈmeɪ̯leɪ̯/
US:/məˈleɪ̯/
Philippines:/mɐˈlaɪ̯/
rhymes with -eɪ
homophone: melee
CMU ARPABET:M EY1 L EY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or relating to the Malays, a people living in Brunei and coastal regions of Borneo including Kalimantan in Indonesia, on the eastern coast of Sumatra, the islands of Bangka and Belitung, the Riau archipelago, in most of the Malay Peninsula including the southernmost provinces of Thailand, states of West Malaysia (where they are politically dominant in the federation), and in Singapore.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
In, of or otherwise relating to the languages spoken by Malays.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
The Malay language, an Austronesian language spoken by most Malay people and by others where it is an official language, including under the name Indonesian.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
The Malay language, an Austronesian language spoken by most Malay people and by others where it is an official language, excluding the national standard known as Indonesian.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: strict-sense
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
name
Meaning 5
A municipality of Aklan, Philippines.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
A person of Malay ancestry, referring to a diverse group of Austronesian peoples inhabiting the Malay archipelago and Malay peninsula in Southeast Asia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Type of mild curry made with yoghurt and fruit, usually pineapple or lychee.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
She ordered chicken Malay with rice.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective
Meaning 8
of or relating to or characteristic of the people or language of Malaysia and the northern Malay Peninsula and parts of the western Malay Archipelago
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Malay peoples
Malayan syllable structure
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Malayan
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
a western subfamily of Western Malayo-Polynesian languages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Western Malayo-Polynesian
Narrower terms: Malaysian, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Kebangsaan, Indonesian, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa
10
noun
Meaning 10
a member of a people inhabiting the northern Malay Peninsula and Malaysia and parts of the western Malay Archipelago
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Malayan
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Asian, Asiatic
History
Etymology
From Malay Melayu, from Malayu, a kingdom on Sumatra's eastern coast (today's Jambi), mentioned by the Chinese Monk Yijing as 末羅瑜國 and during the Yuan (1271–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties as 木剌由, 麻里予兒, 巫來由 and 無來由. First attested in English as 1598. Exonymous derivation from Malayalam മല (mala, “mountain”) has not been demonstrated.
Across languages
Translations
178 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
Maleis
— of the Malay people
Armenian:
մալայական
(malayakan)
— of the Malay people
Asturian:
malayu
— of the Malay people
Belarusian:
мала́йскі
(malájski)
— of the Malay people
Bulgarian:
мала́йски
(malájski)
— of the Malay people
Burmese:
ပသျှူး
(pa.hsyu:)
— of the Malay people
Burmese:
မလေး
(ma.le:)
— of the Malay people
Catalan:
malai
— of the Malay people
Catalan:
malaia
— of the Malay people
Chinese Mandarin:
馬來人的 /马来人的
(Mǎláirén de)
— of the Malay people
Czech:
malajský
— of the Malay people
Danish:
malaysisk
— of the Malay people
Danish:
malajisk
— of the Malay people
Dutch:
Maleis
— of the Malay people
Dutch:
Maleisisch
— of the Malay people
Finnish:
malaiji-
— of the Malay people
Finnish:
malaijien
— of the Malay people
French:
malais
— of the Malay people
French:
malay
— of the Malay people
German:
malaiisch
— of the Malay people
Hindi:
मलय
(malay)
— of the Malay people
Hungarian:
maláj
— of the Malay people
Icelandic:
malajískur
— of the Malay people
Indonesian:
Melayu
— of the Malay people
Indonesian:
orang Melayu
— of the Malay people
Italian:
malese
— of the Malay people
Khmer:
ជ្វា
(cviə)
— of the Malay people
Khmer:
ម៉ាឡេ
(maalee)
— of the Malay people
Macedonian:
малајски
(malajski)
— of the Malay people
Malay:
orang Melayu
— of the Malay people
Malay:
Melayu
— of the Malay people
Mon:
ပရှူး
— of the Malay people
Nepali:
मलायी
(malāyī)
— of the Malay people
Nepali:
malayisk
— of the Malay people
Nepali:
malaysisk
— of the Malay people
Nepali:
malayisk
— of the Malay people
Nepali:
malaysisk
— of the Malay people
Persian:
مالایی
(mâlâyi)
— of the Malay people
Polish:
malajski
— of the Malay people
Portuguese:
malaio
— of the Malay people
Portuguese:
malásio
— of the Malay people
Russian:
мала́йский
(malájskij)
— of the Malay people
Scottish Gaelic:
Malaidheach
— of the Malay people
Semai:
Gòp
— of the Malay people
Sicilian:
malisi
— of the Malay people
Slovak:
malajský
— of the Malay people
Slovene:
malajski
— of the Malay people
Spanish:
malayo
— of the Malay people
Tagalog:
Malayo
— of the Malay people
Thai:
มลายู
(má-laa-yuu)
— of the Malay people
Ukrainian:
мала́йський
(malájsʹkyj)
— of the Malay people
Afrikaans:
Maleis
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Asturian:
malayu
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Catalan:
malai
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Catalan:
malaia
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Chinese Mandarin:
馬來語的 /马来语的
(Mǎláiyǔ de)
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Danish:
malaysisk
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Danish:
malajisk
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Dutch:
Maleis
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Finnish:
malaijinkielinen
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
French:
malais
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
French:
malay
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Hawaiian:
ʻōlelo Malaia
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Hindi:
मलय
(malay)
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Hungarian:
maláj
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Icelandic:
malajískur
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Indonesian:
bahasa Melayu
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Italian:
malese
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Malay:
bahasa Melayu
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Norwegian Bokmål:
malayisk
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Norwegian Bokmål:
malaysisk
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Norwegian Nynorsk:
malayisk
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Norwegian Nynorsk:
malaysisk
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Persian:
مالایی
(mâlâyi)
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Portuguese:
malaio
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Sicilian:
malisi
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Spanish:
malayo
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Tagalog:
Malayo
— in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language
Afrikaans:
Maleis
— the Malay language
Arabic:
لُغَة مِلَايُو
(luḡat milāyū)
— the Malay language
Armenian:
մալայերեն
(malayeren)
— the Malay language
Asturian:
malayu
— the Malay language
Basque:
malaiera
— the Malay language
Catalan:
malai
— the Malay language
Chinese Cantonese:
馬來話 /马来话
— the Malay language
Chinese Cantonese:
馬拉話 /马拉话
— the Malay language
Hakka Chinese:
馬來語 /马来语
(Mâ-lòi-ngî)
— the Malay language
Chinese:
馬來語 /马来语
(Má-lâi-gí, Má-lâi-gú)
— the Malay language
Chinese Mandarin:
馬來語 /马来语
(Mǎláiyǔ)
— the Malay language
Czech:
malajština
— the Malay language
Dutch:
Maleis
— the Malay language
Esperanto:
Malaja
— the Malay language
Finnish:
malaiji
— the Malay language
French:
malais
— the Malay language
French:
malay
— the Malay language
German:
Malaiisch
— the Malay language
Greek:
μαλαισιανά
(malaisianá)
— the Malay language
Hindi:
मलय
(malay)
— the Malay language
Hungarian:
maláj
— the Malay language
Icelandic:
malajíska
— the Malay language
Indonesian:
bahasa Melayu
— the Malay language
Indonesian:
Melayu
— the Malay language
Irish:
Malaeis
— the Malay language
Italian:
malese
— the Malay language
Japanese:
マレー語
(marēgo)
— the Malay language
Kazakh:
малай тілі
(malai tılı)
— the Malay language
Korean:
말레이어
(malleieo)
— the Malay language
Korean:
마인어
(maineo)
— the Malay language
Latin:
Malaicum
— the Malay language
Latin:
Malaeorum
— the Malay language
Macedonian:
малајски
(malajski)
— the Malay language
Malay:
bahasa Melayu
— the Malay language
Manx:
Malayish
— the Malay language
Navajo:
Maléízha bizaad
— the Malay language
Norwegian Bokmål:
malayisk
— the Malay language
Norwegian Nynorsk:
malayisk
— the Malay language
Persian:
زبان مالایی
(zabân-e mâlâyi)
— the Malay language
Polish:
malajski
— the Malay language
Portuguese:
malaio
— the Malay language
Russian:
мала́йский язы́к
(malájskij jazýk)
— the Malay language
Russian:
мала́йский
(malájskij)
— the Malay language
Scottish Gaelic:
Malaidhis
— the Malay language
Spanish:
malayo
— the Malay language
Swedish:
malajiska
— the Malay language
Tagalog:
Malayo
— the Malay language
Thai:
ภาษามาเลย์
(paasăa maalây)
— the Malay language
Thai:
ภาษามลายู
(má-laa-yuu)
— the Malay language
Turkish:
Malayca
— the Malay language
Vietnamese:
tiếng Mã-lai
— the Malay language
Vietnamese:
tiếng Mã lai
— the Malay language
Afrikaans:
Maleier
— Malay person
Armenian:
մալայացի
(malayacʻi)
— Malay person
Asturian:
malayu
— Malay person
Asturian:
malaya
— Malay person
Catalan:
malai
— Malay person
Catalan:
malaia
— Malay person
Chinese Mandarin:
馬來人 /马来人
(Mǎláirén)
— Malay person
