# Hey

/ˈheɪ/ (US) · /hˈeɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hey
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 2. getting attention

interjection · CEFR A1 · Informal

you use this to make someone look at you or listen to you.

For teachers: an exclamation used to attract the attention of another person.

- Hey, you dropped your glove on the sidewalk.
- Hey, watch out for that cyclist coming around the corner.

### 4. a tag question

interjection · CEFR B2 · Informal · Dialect

you add this to the end of a sentence to check if someone agrees with you.

For teachers: used as a tag question to seek confirmation or to emphasise the preceding statement.

- It's a pretty nice day for a walk, hey?
- That was a rather unexpected turn of events in the final act, hey?

### 5. to greet someone

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to say 'hey' to someone as a greeting.

For teachers: to greet a person using the informal interjection 'hey'.

- I saw Sarah at the mall and she heyed me from across the food court.
- He heyed his colleagues as he walked through the open-plan office toward his desk.

## Examples

- Hey, look at that beautiful bird over there.
- Hey, I haven't seen you in ages — how have you been lately?
- Hey, you can't just walk in here without an appointment and expect to see the manager immediately.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.