here

¹

[ heer ]

adverb

1. in this place; in this spot or locality ( there ):

   Put the pen here.

2. to or toward this place; hither:

   Come here.

3. at this point; at this juncture:

   Here the speaker paused.

4. (used to call attention to some person or thing present, or to what the speaker has, offers, brings, or discovers):

   Here is your paycheck.

   My friend here knows the circumstances.

5. present (used to answer a roll call).
6. in the present life or existence (often followed by below ):

   We want but little here below.

7. under consideration, in this instance or case:

   The matter here is of grave concern to us all.

noun

1. this place:

   It's only a short distance from here.

2. this world; this life; the present:

   The here and the hereafter are equal mysteries to all people.

adjective

1. (used for emphasis, especially after a noun modified by a demonstrative adjective):

   this package here.

interjection

1. (often used to command attention, give comfort, etc.) now; all right:

   Here, let me try it.

   Here, don't cry.

Here

²

[ heer-ee ]

noun

1. Hera.

Here

¹

/ ˈjɪrə /

interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise or dismay

here

²

/ hɪə /

adverb

1. in, at, or to this place, point, case, or respect

   here, the policemen do not usually carry guns

   here comes Roy

   we come here every summer

2. here and there
   at several places in or throughout an area
3. here goes
   an exclamation indicating that the speaker is about to perform an action
4. here's to
   a formula used in proposing a toast to someone or something
5. here today, gone tomorrow
   short-lived; transitory
6. here we go again
   an event or process is about to repeat itself
7. neither here nor there
   of no relevance or importance
8. this here
   See this

noun

1. this place

   they leave here tonight

2. here and now or the here and now
   the present time

Usage Note

See there.

Word History and Origins

Origin of here¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hēr; cognate with German hier, Old Norse, Gothic hēr

Word History and Origins

Origin of here¹

Afrikaans: Lord

Origin of here²

Old English hēr; related to Old Norse hēr, Old High German hiar, Old Saxon hīr

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. here and now,
   1. at the present moment; without delay; immediately:

      We must tend to the matter here and now.

   2. Usually the here and now. the immediate present:

      You can't live only in the here and now.

2. here and there,
   1. in this place and in that; at various times or places:

      He worked here and there, never for long in one town.

   2. hither and thither:

      We drove here and there in the darkness, hoping to find the right roads.

3. here goes, (used to express resolution in beginning a bold or unpleasant action):

   You've dared me to dive from the highest board, so here goes!

4. here's to, hail to; salutations to:

   Here's to a long and happy life!

   Here's to you!

5. neither here nor there, without relevance or importance; immaterial:

   The fact that her family has no money is neither here nor there.

6. up to here with,
   1. having a surfeit of:

      I'm up to here with work.

   2. at a high point of annoyance with:

      Everyone is up to here with his constant complaining.

More idioms and phrases containing here

• buck stops here
• downhill all the way (from here)
• have had it (up to here)
• neither here nor there
• same here
• where do we go from here

Example Sentences

The best comparison here for an American audience is, well, Internet stuff.

From The Daily Beast

“Please, please do not permit this to happen here in Florida,” wrote Cris K. Smith of East Polk County.

From The Daily Beast

Toomey lives here with her husband, Mark, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, and their two daughters.

From The Daily Beast

So here I am in my requisite Lululemon pants, grunting along to an old hip-hop song at a most ungodly hour.

From The Daily Beast

“I love my job and I love my city and I am committed to the work here,” he said in a statement.

From The Daily Beast

The Duchess had also a tent for their sick men; so that we had a small town of our own here, and every body employed.

From Project Gutenberg

Here began indeed, in the drab surroundings of the workshop, in the silent mystery of the laboratory, the magic of the new age.

From Project Gutenberg

The people here retained the same paganism and barbarity, only they were not so dangerous, being conquered by the Muscovites.

From Project Gutenberg

Genoa has but recently and partially felt the new impulse, yet even here the march of improvement is visible.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the simplest of these childish tricks is the invention of an excuse for not instantly obeying a command, as "Come here!"

From Project Gutenberg