hey

[hey]

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.)

2. Informal.,  hello: used as a greeting.

hey

/ heɪ /

interjection

1. an expression indicating surprise, dismay, discovery, etc, or calling for another's attention

2. an exclamation used for emphasis at the end of a statement, or alone to seek repetition or confirmation of another person's statement

3. an exclamation used by conjurors to herald the climax of a trick

Word History and Origins

Origin of hey¹

1150–1200; Middle English hei

Word History and Origins

Origin of hey¹

C13: compare Old French hay, German hei, Swedish hej

Example Sentences

“You keep messing around like that, you’re gonna win yourself another drinking ticket,” Maggie says, adding in a stern voice, “Hey. Hey. Hey! You!”

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I was like “Hey, I have an idea about these four friends that are caryatids” — which are those sculptures that hold up buildings, you know?

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They “were asking us ‘Hey, did y’all promise to get paid?

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“Customers are saying, ‘Hey, can you help us bridge the two to three years until we can get a utility connection?’” said Jason Kaiser, group president of energy and transportation at Caterpillar.

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While carrying around a camera for film class, the JV football coach, Vince Vergara, noticed him, pulled him aside and asked, “Hey, do you want to play football?”

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Related Words

• cry 
• exclamation 
• expletive 
• insertion 
• interpolation 
• interposition 
• shout