hi
interjection
(used as an exclamation of greeting) hello!
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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.
“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
Ovitz, the former superagent, says he’ll always stop to say hi, but: “We all know: Don’t hang out.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
In an email from 2012, Epstein wrote to a publicist, apparently from the Cannes Film Festival, that he was "sitting next to Brett Ratner", adding: "Brett says hi and he loves you!"
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
If you ever feel like grabbing a coffee or saying hi, I’d love that.
From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026
Hugging quandaries aside, when I saw a boy in these clothes, I would have to walk up and say hi.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
