hello

hel-lo · interjection

imported

Definitions

interjection

  1. 1.

    Used as a greeting when meeting someone or answering the telephone.

  2. 2.

    Used to attract someone's attention.

  3. 3.

    Used to express surprise or to emphasize that someone has missed an obvious point.

  4. 4.

    (as noun) An instance of saying "hello"; a greeting.

Forms

plural: hellos

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    say hello to — greet someone; introduce oneself to
  • •
    a big hello — an enthusiastic greeting
  • •
    hello stranger — greeting to someone not seen in a long time

Related words

Antonyms: farewell, goodbye
See also: goodbye, greeting, hey, hi
Synonyms: greetings, hey, hi, howdy

Etymology

First recorded in the early 19th century, likely an alteration of "hollo" or "hullo," which were calls to attract attention. The word became widely popular with the advent of the telephone, as Thomas Edison advocated for "hello" as the standard telephone greeting, in contrast to Alexander Graham Bell's preferred "ahoy."