DictionaryAI

hi

HY/haɪ/

Noun pluralhis

5 meanings of hi

Practice

  1. 1
    a greetinginterjection
    A friendly word people say when they meet or greet someone.

    Like a small wave of the hand, but said out loud.

    Hi, it's so good to see you again!

    She waved and said hi as she walked through the door.

    UsageA casual hello. People often say hi to someone.

    Similarhello, howdy, greetings

    Oppositebye, goodbye

    Note
  2. 2
    highadjectivecolloquial
    Informal spelling of high. You mostly see it in hyphenated words like hi-tech and hi-fi.

    The store stocks the newest hi-tech gadgets every season.

    He still listens to records on a vintage hi-fi system.

    Note
  3. 3
    a greetingnouncountable
    A short, friendly greeting given to someone.

    She gave me a quick hi before rushing off to class.

    He typed a friendly hi and waited for a reply.

    UsageYou can give or send someone a hi, or get a hi from someone.

    Similarhello, greeting

    Oppositegoodbye, farewell

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    attentioninterjection
    A word called out loudly to get someone's attention.

    Hi! You dropped your wallet back there!

    "Hi!" I called from across the street, but he didn't look up.

    Similarhey, oi

    Note
  2. 5
    surpriseinterjectiondated
    A word used to show surprise or to make fun of something.

    Similarha, oh

    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 3–5

As a greeting, an American English word first written down in 1862. It probably comes from an older English word "hey," used to get someone's attention.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Hi originated in American English as a greeting. en.wiktionary.org
  • 1862 is the reported first record of the greeting sense. The older exclamation predates it: hi appears in the 1853 first book edition of Charles Dickens's Bleak House, chapter 5. en.wikisource.org
  • Hi probably comes from the older attention-getting exclamation hey. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 2

A short way of spelling high.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact