hi
interjection
(used as an exclamation of greeting) hello!
Jump To:
hi
1 American
[hahy]
/ haɪ /
interjection
hi
2
American
[hahy]
/ haɪ /
adjective
HI
3
American
H.I.
4
American
HI
1
British
abbreviation
-
Hawaii (state)
-
Hawaiian Islands
hi
2
British
/ haɪ /
hi
3
British
/ haɪ /
interjection
Etymology
Origin of hi
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English hy, perhaps variant of hei hey
Explanation
Hi is a common greeting, more casual than "hello." When you walk down the street in a small town, it might seem like everyone you pass says "hi." The word hi is a good, nearly all-purpose greeting — it's appropriate in all but the most formal circumstances, so you might want to skip saying, "Hi" to the Queen when you meet her. When you greet someone, you have a lot of words to choose from, including "hey," "hello," "hiya," and "howdy," but hi is probably the most common. The first mention of hi attributes it to a Kansas native American in the 1800s.
Vocabulary lists containing hi
Scrabble: Two-Letter Words
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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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.
See Examples For:
He wanted his “famous sister” to say hi to his disbelieving client.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Just walking down the street in Boston wearing any type of Scotland merchandise will result in people waving, saying hi or shouting "good luck Scotland".
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
“We see them every day and we just say hi and they’re very nice,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
“When you’re out on a run or a walk or a bike ride, do you say hi to people that pass? If you don’t, I’m not so sure about you,” he joked.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 2026
Every single day I tell myself that I’m going to say hi, that I’m going to write her a note back, and every single day I sit there and avoid eye contact.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
This process allowed the average HI signal to emerge from the background noise.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
As a result, scientists have struggled to directly and reliably determine how the universe's total HI mass has changed across the low- to intermediate-redshift universe.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
The HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel in Pescadero, California, for example, features on-site tide pools and private family rooms.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
"We expect the inflation to fall below 3% in the third quarter and the Bank of Korea to consider cutting rates soon thereafter," said Kim Myoung-sil, fixed-income analyst at HI Investment & Securities.
From Reuters ● May 2, 2023
HI meet you in the morning, When I reach the promised land; On the other side of Jordan, For I'm bound for the promised land.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
The ship appears to have crewed anti-aircraft weapons on its bow and stern, according to H.I.
From Seattle Times ● May 26, 2022
My mind went to “Raising Arizona”: The first 11 minutes of that movie is this amazing narrated montage that tells you everything you know about H.I.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2020
“At first, my work was difficult because many people did not want to believe that Ebola was real,” Sheku Kamara, an H.I. volunteer, said in a statement.
From Washington Times ● May 22, 2018
But when he followed up, in 1987, with two of his most memorable characters in two of his best films -- as the rooster-haired babynapper H.I.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2011
With these scientific aims were united others of a political nature, our Commodore having been honoured with H.I.
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.
