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• hi
  hi

  interjection

  (used as an exclamation of greeting) hello!
• HI
  HI

  abbreviation

  Hawaii (approved especially for use with zip code).
• H.I.
  H.I.

  abbreviation

  Hawaiian Islands.

hi

¹ American  

[hahy] / haɪ /

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation of greeting) hello!

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hi ² American  

[hahy] / haɪ /

adjective

1. an informal, simplified spelling of high.

   hi fidelity.

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HI ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Hawaii (approved especially for use with zip code).

2. Meteorology. heat index. Also H.I.

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H.I. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Hawaiian Islands.

2. Meteorology. heat index. Also HI

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HI ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Hawaii (state)

2. Hawaiian Islands

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hi ² British  

/ haɪ /

1. an informal word for hello

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hi ³ British  

/ haɪ /

interjection

1. an expression used to attract attention

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hi HI H.I.

The other day we went out to a restaurant, and we all went back to the kitchen in the back, just to say hi and thank you to the staff who work there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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

“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

If you ever feel like grabbing a coffee or saying hi, I’d love that.

From Salon ● Jan. 27, 2026

“If you go that way, it will spit you out on the sidewalk. Say hi to your mom for me.”

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

The researchers suggest that the most important changes in the more recent universe may involve how gas moves through the baryon cycle rather than how much HI exists overall.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

Astronomers primarily detect HI through its extremely faint 21-centimeter radio emission line.

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

"The recovery in China-bound exports is being delayed due to slower normalisation of its economy" after the COVID-19 pandemic, said economist Park Sang-hyun at HI Investment Securities.

From Reuters ● Aug. 30, 2023

HI say, “Dis b’dat outrageous cay, eh, Timothy?”

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

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

H.I. himself took heaps of tickets, but the house was half empty.

From The Story of My Life Recollections and Reflections by Ellen Terry

Related Words

• hello
• nod
• ovation
• reception
• salute