hey

(hā)

interj. Informal

1. Used to attract attention or to express surprise, appreciation, wonder, or pleasure: "Oh, hey, you saw that ninety-nine-yard punt return in the Super Bowl? Wow, so did I!" (Don Pfarrer).

2. Used to express greeting.

[Middle English hei.]

Word History: A word sounding like hey has been used in English since Middle English times—Middle English hei was used to call someone's attention and also to express anger, derision, or opposition. Hei could also be used to urge dogs on during the hunt and to express grief or concern—this was probably a long, drawn out hey.... The word probably originated simply as an imitation of the various loud, meaningless exclamations that people may utter when they are surprised or trying to attract the attention of others. Nowadays, we find the word hey used in various other ways, as for emphasis in the expression but hey. It is also used as a greeting, the short, colloquial equivalent of How are you? and thus close kin to the informal salutation hi. Hi appears to have arisen in North American English in the middle of the 1800s. However, hey seems to be replacing hi in many situations today. Until recently, the greeting hey had a distinctly Southern flavor. The national survey conducted in the 1960s by the Dictionary of American Regional English found hey as a greeting restricted chiefly to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The friendly hey has since spread throughout the United States. Interjections sounding like hey are also used as greetings in other languages, such as Swedish hej.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hey

(heɪ)

interj

1. an expression indicating surprise, dismay, discovery, etc, or calling for another's attention

2. South African an exclamation used for emphasis at the end of a statement, or alone to seek repetition or confirmation of another person's statement

3. hey presto an exclamation used by conjurors to herald the climax of a trick

[C13: compare Old French hay, German hei, Swedish hej]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hey

(heɪ)

interj.

(used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.)

[Middle English hei]

Translations

hej!

hej

He!

¡eh!¡oye!oye

heimoroterve

hæ!, hey!, heyrîu!

ehi

hei!

hehehheyhoihuh

hallo!Ikke gjør det!Oj!

ei epa oi opa

гей

hej!

hej

Bana bak!Haydi!Hey!

嗨！表示喜悦或提问或引起注意的喊声

hey

[heɪ] EXCL → ¡oye!, ¡oiga!

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

hey

[ˈheɪ ˈheɪ] excl

(to attract attention) → hé!

(= to show annoyance) → hé!
Hey, what do you mean? → Hé, qu'est-ce que vous insinuez?

(US) (= hello) → salut!

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

hey

interj (to attract attention) → he (Sie/du); (in surprise) → he, Mensch (inf); hey presto → Hokuspokus (Fidibus)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

hey

[heɪ] excl → ehi!

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

hey

(hei) interjection

a shout expressing joy, or a question, or used to attract attention. Hey! What are you doing there?

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

'No, sir,' says I, 'by thunder, and I don't need anybody goin' home with me, either--whujja take me for, hey? Think I'm drunk, dontcha, hey?--I know you!

"Looks like a lot, hey?" said Master Freddie, fumbling with it.

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Who told you you might meddle with such hifalut'n foolishness, hey? -- who told you you could?"

"The widow, hey? -- and who told the widow she could put in her shovel about a thing that ain't none of her business?"

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"Hey, sweet lads!" cried he "who will drink ale with a stout yeoman?

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Well, Dolinka," he turned to his elder daughter, "what's your young buck about, hey?"

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"Bad, very bad; why don't you say, 'Death carries on its ravages amongst the few surviving defenders of the monarchy and the old and faithful servants of the King, whose heart bleeds under these reiterated blows?'" [Du Bruel writes rapidly.] "'Monsieur le Baron Flamet de la Billardiere died this morning of dropsy, caused by heart disease.' You see, it is just as well to show there are hearts in government offices; and you ought to slip in a little flummery about the emotions of the Royalists during the Terror,--might be useful, hey! But stay,--no!

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"With a hey and a ho And a hey nonny no, A butcher of Nottingham!"

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"Hey! What's the matter along you fella boy?" he shouted to the man at the wheel.

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"Hey, you, Kwaque, go fetch 'm two fella bottle of beer stop 'm along icey-chestis," he commanded in his most peremptory manner.

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Hey, who's there?" he called out in a tone only used by persons who are certain that those they call will rush to obey the summons.

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The gruff voice was gruffer than ever, as the old gentleman said abruptly, after the dreadful pause, "So you're not afraid of me, hey?"

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