English Meaning & Definitions
Used as an informal friendly greeting.
- “Hi there! How are you doing today?”
- “She walked into the room and said, 'Hi, everyone!'”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “hi”.
Originating from Middle English *hy* or *hei*, an exclamation of greeting. It is likely a shortened form of *hail*, an older greeting (as in 'hail, fellow well met'). Its widespread use as a general informal greeting became prominent in the 19th century, particularly in North America, and subsequently spread globally.
Think of 'Hi' as a quick, friendly way to say 'Hello, I'm here!'
Frequently Asked Questions About “hi”
1. What is the meaning of “hi” in English?
In English, hi (interjection) is defined as: “Used as an informal friendly greeting.”.
2. How do you use “hi” in a sentence?
“Hi there! How are you doing today?”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “hi”?
Originating from Middle English *hy* or *hei*, an exclamation of greeting. It is likely a shortened form of *hail*, an older greeting (as in 'hail, fellow well met'). Its widespread use as a general informal greeting became prominent in the 19th century, particularly in North America, and subsequently spread globally.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.