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.
Copeland: Hey, Stanley, how about this for a definition of jazz?
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Each begins with "Hey, it's Taylor" and announces the release of her latest album, "The Life of a Showgirl," which was released in early October.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
These sequences didn’t say, Hey, good to see you! — they sneered, Do you even go here?
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
Hey, we proved the value of this particular product.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
"Hey, what are you doing looking in my bag?" he demanded.
From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene
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.
