Definitely Maybe
Emphatic yet uncertain
Definitely maybe is a playful non-answer that acknowledges a question while refusing to commit.
The contradiction is the point—combining certainty with uncertainty signals that the speaker won't be pinned down: Are you coming to the party? Definitely maybe.
The phrase became widely known as the title of Oasis's 1994 debut album.
Mid-nineties UK rock movement
- Live ForeverExist without end
- ColumbiaAmerica personified, or its namesakes
- ManchesterLarge English industrial city
- debutFirst public appearance
Liam Gallagher · Noel Gallagher · vinyl · platinum · guitar · anthemic · swagger · 1994
Expressing uncertainty
- possiblyWith some likelihood
- probablyAlmost certainly true
- potentiallyWith latent possibility
- conceivablyWithin imagination's reach
presumably · theoretically · hypothetically · tentatively · plausibly · seemingly · ostensibly · arguably
Openness to multiple interpretations
- doubtLack of firm belief
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- indecisionFailure to decide
- unsureLacking confidence or certainty
unclear · undecided · vague · tentative · questionable · iffy · speculative · equivocal
Desire for good outcomes
- confidenceSelf-assurance or trust
- positivityHopeful mental orientation
- aspirationStrong desire for achievement
- enthusiasmIntense eager enjoyment
upbeat · promising · faith · assurance · expectation · anticipation · possibility · openness
- romantic comedyHumorous love story genre
- 2008Year before 2009
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
- New YorkNortheastern metropolis and state
Elizabeth Banks · Rachel Weisz · love story · relationships · rom-com · fatherhood · storytelling
Britpop
Mid-nineties UK rock movement
- Live ForeverExist without end
- ColumbiaAmerica personified, or its namesakes
- ManchesterLarge English industrial city
Liam Gallagher · Noel Gallagher · debut · vinyl · platinum · guitar · anthemic · swagger · 1994 · influential
perhaps
Expressing uncertainty
- possiblyWith some likelihood
- probablyAlmost certainly true
- potentiallyWith latent possibility
conceivably · presumably · theoretically · hypothetically · tentatively · plausibly · seemingly · ostensibly · arguably · noncommittal
ambiguity
Openness to multiple interpretations
- doubtLack of firm belief
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- indecisionFailure to decide
unsure · unclear · undecided · vague · tentative · questionable · iffy · speculative · equivocal · unconfirmed
hope
Desire for good outcomes
- confidenceSelf-assurance or trust
- positivityHopeful mental orientation
- aspirationStrong desire for achievement
enthusiasm · upbeat · promising · faith · assurance · expectation · anticipation · possibility · openness · forward-looking
Ryan Reynolds
- romantic comedyHumorous love story genre
- 2008Year before 2009
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
Elizabeth Banks · Rachel Weisz · New York · love story · relationships · rom-com · fatherhood · storytelling
Definitely Maybeabsolutely not
Emphatic total rejection
definitely · certainly · unequivocally · without a doubt · never
Definitely MaybeThe Notebook
Elderly love remembered
Sleepless in Seattle · happily ever after · fairy tale ending · love at first sight · soulmates
definite, definitely, define, definition, definitions, definitive, definitively, undefined, indefinite