Hawaii (state)
Hawaiian Islands
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English hy, perhaps variant of hei hey
Hi is a common greeting, more casual than "hello." When you walk down the street in a small town, it might seem like everyone you pass says "hi." The word hi is a good, nearly all-purpose greeting — it's appropriate in all but the most formal circumstances, so you might want to skip saying, "Hi" to the Queen when you meet her. When you greet someone, you have a lot of words to choose from, including "hey," "hello," "hiya," and "howdy," but hi is probably the most common. The first mention of hi attributes it to a Kansas native American in the 1800s.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Viv Chen: Hi, Tory, it’s a pleasure to meet.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Whoever is filming walks towards her, and says: "Hi, I like how you look."
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Presenters Nikita Kanda and Haroon Rashid revealed that Tum Hi Ho, sung by Arijit Singh for the Bollywood film Aashiqui 2, was the nation's favourite.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025
Reacting to news of Tum Hi Ho's win, composer Mithoon said it was an important song for him.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025
“Oh my, what gorgeous boys, Mel. Hi, boys! My name is Margie. This is Rhonda. And that grumpy fellow over there is Steve.”
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
