# Grammar - 'may' or 'might'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-may-or-might/938875>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 27, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-may-or-might/938875 "2021-03-27T23:13:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-may-or-might/938875/21 "2021-03-30T14:07:10Z")

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I always loved that line. If it was somehow possible to irrefutably prove that Big Foot or UFOs didn’t exist, millions of people would lose all interest in life itself.

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**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-may-or-might/938875/22 "2021-03-30T22:38:45Z")

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> [@lobotomyboy63](#):
>
> “May” indicates that you are more likely to do something. I may go to the store means I _probably_ will go to the store. “Might” suggests that you are less likely to do something. I might go to the store means it’s _unlikely_ that I’ll go to the store.

[Just to be clear, the above text is not lobotomyboy63’s words, but quoted from Writer’s Digest.]

This doesn’t match my usage. “May” does not equate to “probably”. I would bet even money on something that probably will happen, but not on something that may happen.  
Equally, “might” doesn’t (for me) mean “unlikely”.

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