hey
Americaninterjection
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(used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.)
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Informal. hello: used as a greeting.
interjection
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an expression indicating surprise, dismay, discovery, etc, or calling for another's attention
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an exclamation used for emphasis at the end of a statement, or alone to seek repetition or confirmation of another person's statement
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an exclamation used by conjurors to herald the climax of a trick
Etymology
Origin of hey
1150–1200; Middle English hei
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not quite as riveting or suspenseful as the version in the book but, hey, she did OK in the end.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
The Napoli midfielder with the Midas Touch probably just waved his hand over his stomach and, hey presto, he was healed.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
"And we said, hey, that's the stuff we typically use. Theoretically, this should work. Let's go figure out how."
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
Rounding the corner, hey, it’s the surgeon who implanted the world’s first Neurolink.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
“Well, can you just tell him I said hey? And that I hope he’s okay?”
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
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.
