hey

American  

[hey] / heɪ /

interjection

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

2. Informal. hello: used as a greeting.

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hey British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of hey

1150–1200; Middle English hei

Example Sentences

And hey, did you know that the word “raptor”—which is often used to describe birds of prey—comes from the Latin verb rapio, which means to plunder, rob, ravish, or abduct?

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

The service might be minimal sometimes, but, hey, the food is good and cheap.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

"I was like hey it's a game... it's beautiful. I think I could introduce this to my community," he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

But as the credits roll, a brand new song plays and, hey, it's pretty good.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

But hey and excuse me, 870 is still a lot of miles—from New York to Chicago, indeed somewhat beyond.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

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