Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

may–december

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.02 in modern English

Syllables: may–de-cem-ber
IPA

23

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Pertaining to a relationship in which one person is much older than the other.

Example Sentences

"Whatever fantasy you can’t act out in real life can be fulfilled in fan fiction. May-December relationships are very popular, as are boys transforming into girls."
"One of the appeals of May/December relationships in fiction, for me, is that gulf of understanding between partners whose life experiences will never share the same footing at the same time, and the frustrations and desires that come with trying to bridge that gulf."
"A cohort raised on the rigid moral boundaries of internet discourse – things are either good or bad, no in-between – decided that May-December relationships were either problematically one-sided or transactional in nature."

Etymology

From the lyrics to the song September Song, by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson, first published in 1938, about such a relationship, which includes the line It's a long, long time from May to December.

Inflected Forms

May-to-December (alternative) May and December (alternative)

Phrases

May–December romance May–December marriage autumn romance December bride

Frequently Paired Words

autumn romance December bride Maycember

Synonyms

May–September

Questions

What does may–december mean?: Pertaining to a relationship in which one person is much older than the other.
Where does may–december come from?: From the lyrics to the song September Song, by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson, first published in 1938, about such a relationship, which includes the line It's a long, long time from May to December.

How to pronounce may–december

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “may–december”.
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