hello
hello Lexical Profile
hello Game Scores & Validity
• interjection
Used as a polite or friendly greeting when meeting someone, beginning a conversation, or answering a telephone call.
"Hello, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."
Used to attract someone's attention, verify if someone is present or listening, or express mild surprise or disbelief.
"Hello, is anyone down there in the basement?"
• noun
An utterance of the word 'hello'; an act or instance of greeting someone.
"The neighbors exchanged a quick hello at the mailbox before heading to work."
• verb
To say or shout 'hello' as a greeting or to attract attention.
"We helloed into the dark cavern to see if our voices would echo back."
• Rhymes for hello
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 19th century as a variant of earlier shouts for attention such as 'hollo' and 'hulloa', the word became the standard English greeting in the late 1870s after Thomas Edison promoted its use for answering the newly invented telephone.