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hey

HAY/heɪ/

11 meanings of hey

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  1. 1
    greetinginterjectioncolloquial
    A casual word used to greet someone, much like hi.

    Hey, I was just thinking about you the other day.

    Hey, Sam! I didn't know you lived on this street.

    UsageFits friends and casual messages; a formal email usually opens with Hello or Dear instead.

    Similarhi, hello, hiya

    Oppositebye, goodbye

  2. 2
    call outinterjectioncolloquial
    An exclamation used to catch someone's attention.

    Hey, you dropped your keys on the way out!

    He shouted hey to flag down the passing taxi.

    UsageUsually first in the sentence, followed by a comma or exclamation mark: Hey, you!

    Similarhi, oi, yo

    Note

    Getting attention is the core job of this cry. The scolding, surprised and greeting uses all grow from that same cry.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • The scolding, surprise and greeting senses share the attention cry's etymology; Wiktionary groups them under the same etymology. en.wiktionary.org
  3. 3
    interjectioncolloquial
    Used, often after "but", to wave away a disadvantage as unimportant, or to lead into a remark that accepts things, reassures, or looks on the bright side.

    The pay isn't great, but hey, I get to work from home three days a week.

    So the cake came out a little lopsided. Hey, it still tastes good, and that's what counts.

    UsageBut hey can end the sentence on its own: the pay isn't great, but hey.

    Note

    A conversational shrug: but hey concedes the drawback just named and turns toward the consolation, often ending in a stock phrase such as what can you do or it's still free. Unlike the protesting hey, it carries no edge; said flatly it sounds resigned, said brightly it sounds cheerful, so tone does most of the work.

  4. 4
    telling offinterjectioncolloquial
    An exclamation used to protest or scold.

    Hey, you can't just cut in front of everyone in line.

    Hey, watch where you're throwing those snowballs!

    Similaroi

  5. 5
    surpriseinterjectioncolloquial
    An exclamation used to express surprise.

    Hey, that's the same car we saw yesterday!

    Hey, my old phone still turns on after all these years.

    Similarwow, gee, oh, whoa

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Origins

Meanings 1–9

From Middle English hey (also ey without the h-), from an Old English interjection seen in words like hēlā and ēalā ("O!, alas!, lo!"). It has cognates in Dutch hé, German hei, Danish and Swedish hej, Old Norse and Norwegian hei, Polish hej, Russian эй, and many more. It is probably a natural expression, since similar sounds appear in many unrelated languages, such as Finnish hei and Mandarin 哎.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

  • The interjection comes from Middle English hey, also ey, with an Old English antecedent represented in hēlā and ēalā. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Old English interjections have the stated exclamatory meanings. en.wiktionary.org
  • Wiktionary identifies the listed Dutch, German, Scandinavian, Polish and Russian forms as cognates. en.wiktionary.org
  • A natural expressive origin is proposed because comparable interjections occur in unrelated languages, including Finnish and Mandarin. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 10

A spelling in English letters of the name of the Hebrew letter ה and its counterparts in related Semitic alphabets, more often written he.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  • Hey is an English-letter spelling of the name of the Hebrew letter ה, also written he. en.wiktionary.org
  • The name also represents corresponding letters in related Semitic alphabets. en.wiktionary.org