hey

interjection

ˈhā 

1

—used especially to call attention or to express interrogation, surprise, or exultation

Hey, Tigs, the '80s are over, man. Time to lose that orange Mohawk.

—The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

"Hey Rob," growls Russ [Winfield, designer], picking a potato off the back seat. "What are these doing back here?"

—Katherine Silberger

Glenn Miller … said he was forming a band and asked if I was interested in joining. I thought, "Hey, this may not be bad. …"

—Tex Beneke

2

—used as an informal greeting

Hey, how's it going?

"Hey, professor," a man in a worn overcoat says to Wilson, extending a calloused hand … "Hey, man," Wilson says, meeting his grip.

—Samuel G. Freedman

3

—used to indicate that one is not bothered or troubled by something

At his worst, he is corny and silly, but hey, the pleasure he gives is worth the price.

—Gretchen Garner

My way [of kneading] is to press the heel of my hand down into the dough, push it away and then bring it back down against the work surface. You can do it with one hand or two. (I've noticed that some like to follow this up by just throwing the dough, with force and from about chest or shoulder height, down onto the work surface. Hey, whatever works for you.)

—Nigella Lawson

Synonyms

• glory
• glory be
• ha
• hah
• hallelujah
• hooray
• hurrah
• hurray
• hot dog
• huzzah
• wahoo [chiefly West]
• whee
• whoopee
• yahoo
• yippee

Examples of hey in a Sentence

hey, I won the lottery!

Recent Examples on the Web

That frustration is understandable, but hey, so is complex trauma. —Laura Bradley, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

Sure, driving to Key West from Los Angeles is a bit out of the ordinary, but hey, why not? —Geoffrey Morrison, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

And, hey — sneakers are extremely comfortable for long days of travel and walking, too. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2024

The combination of cultural individualism, industrialization, and technological advance created a cultural moment in which audiences were open to and actively explored the idea of unseen forces (hey, if telegraph and photography worked, why not mesmerism, spiritualism, or palm-reading?). —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hey

• hey presto

Kids Definition

hey

interjection

ˈhā 

—used especially to call attention or to express surprise or joy