hey en · INTJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English hey, hei, also without h- in ey, from Old English *hē, ēa (interjection), attested as first element in hēlā, ēalā (“O!, alas!, oh!, lo!”). Cognate with Dutch hé, hei (“hi, hey”), German hei (“hey, wow”), Danish and Swedish hej (“hello, hey”), Faroese hey (“hey, hello”), Old Norse, Icelandic and Norwegian hei (“hey”), Polish hej (“hey, hello”), Romanian hei, Russian эй (ej, “hey”); see heigh. Probably a natural expression, as may be inferred from its presence with similar meaning in many other unrelated languages: for example, Burmese ဟေး (he:), Finnish hei, Unami hè, and Mandarin 哎 (āi), and various sound-alikes as Ancient Greek εἶα (eîa) and Latin eia, eho, Sanskrit हे (he). See also hello.
Meanings
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(informal) An exclamation to get attention.
Hey, look at this!
Hey! Listen!
-
(informal) A protest or reprimand.
Hey! Stop that!
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(informal) An expression of surprise.
Hey! This is new!
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(informal) An informal greeting, similar to hi.
Hey! How's it going?
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(informal) A request for repetition or explanation; an expression of confusion.
Hey? How's that?
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(informal) Used as a tag question, to emphasise what goes before or to request that the listener express an opinion about what has been said.
"Who 's a cur - now - hey?"
1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page vi. 54:
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(informal) A meaningless beat marker or extra, filler syllable in song lyrics.
The chorus is "nana na na, nana na na hey hey hey, goodbye".
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hay | alternative | lexicographic | |
| heigh | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
heyo · heyday · hey pass · but hey · hey presto · hey hey · hey rube · hey up · hey Joe · hey mister · stomp clap hey · hey ya · what the hey · hey there · hey Rube · hey ho · like hey-go-mad · yehey
Hyponyms
Relateds
huh · attention · hay is for horses · pay attention
Synonyms
yowzah · blimey (expression of surprise) · hoi · ahem · howdy · yo · cooee · yoohoo · ahoy · wotcher · huh (for repetition or explanation) · gee whiz · hey · eh (for repetition or explanation) · heyo · hi (informal greeting) · oi (exclamation to get attention) · oi oi
Translations (257)
tl ui (request for repetition or explanation) · ru эй (exclamation to get attention) · fi oh-hoh (expression of surprise) · pl hola (protest or reprimand) · eo he (exclamation to get attention) · de ey (protest or reprimand) · ga hóigh (informal greeting) · vi ê (protest or reprimand) · nl ho (protest or reprimand) · es oe (protest or reprimand) · cmn 嘿 (exclamation to get attention) · ca ep (protest or reprimand) · ro hop (expression of surprise) · fi hei (request for repetition or explanation) · es oe (expression of surprise) · pam na (request for repetition or explanation) · de Hallo (exclamation to get attention) · sv tjena (informal greeting) · pt é (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · cmn 喂 (exclamation to get attention) · fr holà (expression of surprise) · arz بقولك ايه (exclamation to get attention) · tl ui (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · tl oy (informal greeting) · ta டேய் (exclamation to get attention) · vi này (exclamation to get attention) · pl hej (informal greeting) · ta ஏய் (exclamation to get attention) · es eh (exclamation to get attention) · lv eu (exclamation to get attention) · tl oi (exclamation to get attention) · nl hé (protest or reprimand) · sv öh (protest or reprimand) · tl uy (informal greeting) · fr coucou (informal greeting) · pam ot (protest or reprimand) · ltg dzie (exclamation to get attention) · sjo ᠣᡞ (exclamation to get attention) · ja オラ (expression of surprise) · sv hej (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · fr hé (exclamation to get attention) · ja ねえ (exclamation to get attention) · es hey (protest or reprimand) · la heus (exclamation to get attention) · hu helló (informal greeting) · fi hei (informal greeting) · es ey (expression of surprise) · ru эй (protest or reprimand) · ta ஏ (exclamation to get attention) · nl hela (protest or reprimand) · fi moro (informal greeting) · es eh (informal greeting) · nl hé (exclamation to get attention) · hu ácsi (protest or reprimand) · grc ἄγετε (exclamation to get attention) · tl ui (expression of surprise) · tl oi (protest or reprimand) · es imperative oír (request for repetition or explanation) · et ohoo (expression of surprise) · gl oi (exclamation to get attention) · pl e (exclamation to get attention) · gd hòigh (exclamation to get attention) · ca eh (request for repetition or explanation) · es ey (exclamation to get attention) · hu állj (protest or reprimand) · tl uy (protest or reprimand) · sv hallå (request for repetition or explanation) · fa هی (exclamation to get attention) · es hao (exclamation to get attention) · ms weh (exclamation to get attention) · gd haoidh (exclamation to get attention) · ar يَاه (exclamation to get attention) · la ō (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · pam oi (informal greeting) · tl ui (exclamation to get attention) · ast oi (exclamation to get attention) · la o (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · da hej (informal greeting) · la eho (informal greeting) · tl uy (request for repetition or explanation) · grc ἄγε (exclamation to get attention) · eo hej (informal greeting) · hu micsoda (request for repetition or explanation) · tl hoy (protest or reprimand) · ko 이봐 (exclamation to get attention) · fi hei (protest or reprimand) · pt ei (protest or reprimand) · ru ку-ку (informal greeting) · nl hé (informal greeting) · sv oj (expression of surprise) · es hopa (informal greeting) · hi अरे (exclamation to get attention) · eo hej (exclamation to get attention) · es hey (informal greeting) · gl ei (exclamation to get attention) · tl oi (expression of surprise) · es imperative oír (expression of surprise) · uk гей (exclamation to get attention) · la salvete (exclamation to get attention) · ar اسمع (exclamation to get attention) · sv du (protest or reprimand) · sv hejsan (informal greeting) · tl huy (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · it ehi (protest or reprimand) · es eh (protest or reprimand) · sv tja (informal greeting) · fa هلا (exclamation to get attention) · ru о (informal greeting) · ga hóigh (exclamation to get attention) · ja おい (exclamation to get attention) · gd hòigh (informal greeting) · ms hoi (exclamation to get attention) · cs hej (exclamation to get attention) · cmn 嗨 (informal greeting) · ms wei (exclamation to get attention) · fi hei (exclamation to get attention) · la eho (exclamation to get attention) · cmn 哎 (exclamation to get attention) · ca ei (exclamation to get attention) · es ey (informal greeting) · sv du (exclamation to get attention) · lv klau (exclamation to get attention) · be гэй (exclamation to get attention) · tl hoy (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · tl huy (request for repetition or explanation) · tl uy (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · es ey (protest or reprimand) · pt ei (exclamation to get attention) · fi hei (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · ar هَلَا (informal greeting) · es imperative oír (exclamation to get attention) · hy հեյ (informal greeting) · la jo (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · ga hé (exclamation to get attention) · sh hej (exclamation to get attention) · sv hallå (protest or reprimand) · ltg klaus (exclamation to get attention) · hu hahó (exclamation to get attention) · et ohoh (expression of surprise) · ast á (exclamation to get attention) · pl hej (exclamation to get attention) · ru ого́ (expression of surprise) · tl oy (request for repetition or explanation) · es oe (exclamation to get attention) · tl oi (informal greeting) · yue 喂 (exclamation to get attention) · nl hola (protest or reprimand) · tl huy (exclamation to get attention) · pl ej (protest or reprimand) · pt hã (request for repetition or explanation) · pl o (expression of surprise) · tl oy (exclamation to get attention) · mn хөөе (exclamation to get attention) · pam na (protest or reprimand) · pam na (exclamation to get attention) · fr hé (protest or reprimand) · tl ui (protest or reprimand) · ms woi (exclamation to get attention) · pl ojej (expression of surprise) · vi ê (exclamation to get attention) · tl a (expression of surprise) · es imperative oír (protest or reprimand) · pt oi (informal greeting) · et hei (protest or reprimand) · tl oy (protest or reprimand) · da hallo (exclamation to get attention) · ru ой (expression of surprise) · uk ей (exclamation to get attention) · tl talaga (expression of surprise) · tl uy (expression of surprise) · sh хеј (exclamation to get attention) · za vei (exclamation to get attention) · pam oi (protest or reprimand) · acw هيه (exclamation to get attention) · ca ep (exclamation to get attention) · es hola (informal greeting) · pam ne (exclamation to get attention) · gl eh (exclamation to get attention) · it ou (exclamation to get attention) · da hallo (protest or reprimand) · vi ơi (exclamation to get attention) · pt hem (request for repetition or explanation) · sv öh (exclamation to get attention) · ta அடேய் (exclamation to get attention) · hi रे (exclamation to get attention) · pt opa (expression of surprise) · hi अजी (exclamation to get attention) · pt epa (protest or reprimand) · cs hele (exclamation to get attention) · hu nahát (expression of surprise) · ko 어이 (exclamation to get attention) · nl hoi (informal greeting) · fi terve (informal greeting) · ru ого́ (expression of surprise) · tl hoy (informal greeting) · lou hé (exclamation to get attention) · pl ejże (protest or reprimand) · ru э (protest or reprimand) · ko 야 (exclamation to get attention) · tl uy (exclamation to get attention) · es hey (exclamation to get attention) · cmn 嗨 (exclamation to get attention) · tl ah (expression of surprise) · tl ei (informal greeting) · oc èp (exclamation to get attention) · mi hā (exclamation to get attention) · tl ei (request for repetition or explanation) · grc οὗτος (exclamation to get attention) · es hey (expression of surprise) · es eh (request for repetition or explanation) · tl huy (informal greeting) · ja ヘイ (informal greeting) · hy ողջույն (informal greeting) · pl ej (exclamation to get attention) · be эй (exclamation to get attention) · pam na (informal greeting) · ru что (request for repetition or explanation) · nl hè (expression of surprise) · hy էյ (protest or reprimand) · acw ياهو (exclamation to get attention) · ca ei (informal greeting) · et hei (exclamation to get attention) · ro hei (exclamation to get attention) · gd shin thu (informal greeting) · mi ētē (exclamation to get attention) · hu nocsak (expression of surprise) · tl huy (protest or reprimand) · lou hé (informal greeting) · nl huh (expression of surprise) · tl oy (expression of surprise) · es ey (request for repetition or explanation) · tl hoy (exclamation to get attention) · es hey (request for repetition or explanation) · tl ui (informal greeting) · ja おい (protest or reprimand) · tl oy (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · bg хей (exclamation to get attention) · pt hey (meaningless beat marker, filler syllable) · hu figyelj (exclamation to get attention) · ru чо (request for repetition or explanation) · hu figyu (exclamation to get attention) · it ehi (exclamation to get attention) · hu hahó (informal greeting) · hu hé (exclamation to get attention) · sv hej (informal greeting) · hy հեյ (exclamation to get attention) · la salve (exclamation to get attention) · es eh (expression of surprise) · grc αὕτη (exclamation to get attention) · pt opa (protest or reprimand) · ru ух ты (expression of surprise) · hy հեյ (protest or reprimand) · pt epa (expression of surprise) · pt e aí (informal greeting) · hi हे (exclamation to get attention) · sv hallå (exclamation to get attention) · ast ei (informal greeting)