hey
Americaninterjection
-
(used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.)
-
Informal. hello: used as a greeting.
interjection
-
an expression indicating surprise, dismay, discovery, etc, or calling for another's attention
-
an exclamation used for emphasis at the end of a statement, or alone to seek repetition or confirmation of another person's statement
-
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.
Rounding the corner, hey, it’s the surgeon who implanted the world’s first Neurolink.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
Plus, the fleet trusts a woman to be its president – hey, look at that!
From Salon • May 5, 2026
“Alix Earle, hey girl, the passive-aggressive reposts and the likes and the commenting on things. I gotta call you out here,” Cooper said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
It was an unexpected end to their private audience, with Clark recalling: "He stood up and he goes, hey, Harry, watch this."
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
“If I was in your lofty position, I would have called a time-out. But hey, what do I know?”
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
