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howdy

1 American  
[hou-dee] / ˈhaʊ di /

noun

plural

howdies

  1. hello; how do you do (used as an expression of greeting).

howdy 2 American  
[hou-dee] / ˈhaʊ di /

noun

Scot. and North England Slang.

plural

howdies

  1. howdie.

howdy British  
/ ˈhaʊdɪ /

  1. an informal word for hello

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of howdy

First recorded in 1820–30; from the phrase how do ye?

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.

“Boy howdy is the media not ready for that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2024

“Finally, at last, boy howdy hey, welcome to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,” Tom Hanks said at a media preview last week.

From Washington Times • Sep. 29, 2021

And boy howdy, she was very unhappy with me for bringing it up.

From Slate • Jun. 20, 2021

And, boy howdy, was the choice to sit this one out to catch up with "The Crown" a smart one.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2020

It was like talking to somebody’s cousin who just stopped by to say howdy before getting on back to wherever he came from.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

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.