<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-09-19</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000835324</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>S Y BANCORP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>SYI</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001193421</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>TASMAN NORMAN</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>6527 LONGVIEW LANE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOUISVILLE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>KY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>40222</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-09-19</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>6181.886</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>12363.772</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Trust</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-09-19</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>2231</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>4462</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Wife</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-09-19</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>25866.6668</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F2"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>51733.3336</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value><footnoteId id="F2"/><footnoteId id="F4"/></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">12,363.772 shares held in the deferrred comp plan held Indirectly (2 for 1 split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend)</footnote><footnote id="F2">51,733.3336 shares held Directly (2 for 1 split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend)</footnote><footnote id="F3">4,462 shares held Indirectly by wife (2 for 1 split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend)</footnote><footnote id="F4">Derivative Securities:  4,800 Nonqualified Stock Options @ 4.1875 held Directly (2 for 1 split effected in the form of a 100% stock dividend)</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>//Norman Tasman</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-09-22</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

