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• yo
  yo

  interjection

  (used as an exclamation to get someone's attention, express excitement, greet someone, etc.)
• y.o.
  y.o.

  abbreviation

  year old; years old.

yo

¹ American  

[yoh] / yoʊ /

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation to get someone's attention, express excitement, greet someone, etc.)

2. here; present: used especially in answer to a roll call.

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y.o. ² American  

abbreviation

1. year old; years old.

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yo British  

/ jəʊ /

1. an expression used as a greeting, to attract someone's attention, etc

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Usage

What is a basic definition of yo? Yo is an interjection that is used for getting someone’s attention, greeting someone, or expressing strong feelings. Yo is also used to mean “here” or “present,” as in response to a roll call. Yo is a very flexible interjection that is used similarly to hey. The specific meaning of yo depends on the context it is used in. Yo is most often used informally and wouldn’t be used in formal writing that isn’t quotes or dialogue.

• Real-life examples: You might greet a pal with a friendly “Yo!” Or you might try to get the attention of a distracted driver with an angry “Yo!”
• Used in a sentence: Yo, Teddy! How is it going? 

Yo is also used to mean “here” or “present,” especially in response to someone calling your name.

• Real-life examples: It might be too casual to say yo when your teacher reads your name during roll call, but your basketball coach probably won’t mind. And when someone asks who in a group wants pizza, you can definitely raise your hand and say “Yo!” to mean that you do.

Etymology

Origin of yo

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

“I’ll use aggressively casual language, like, ‘hey yo, for real,’ or drop a bunch of exclamation points,” said Harvard, a 32-year-old copywriter in Brooklyn, regarding her posts and essays.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

In a statement on social media, she said: "Prayers up for all my sisters god please wrap yo arms around every last one of them."

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2025

“Oy yo yo yo yo yo yo,” said the superstar maestro Gustavo Dudamel, who was leading the rehearsal.

From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2024

"A yo, I am traveling a little bit right now for these readings," I asked Dre one slow night at his bar.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2023

“Dat’s some mo of yo business, aint it?”

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner