hello

noun

hel·​lo hə-ˈlō How to pronounce hello (audio)
he-
plural hellos
: an expression or gesture of greeting
used interjectionally in greeting, in answering the telephone, or to express surprise
hello there
waved hello

Examples of hello in a Sentence

They welcomed us with a warm hello. we said our hellos and got right down to business
Recent Examples on the Web During the passing period, Mark never hesitates to greet our students with development disabilities with a hello or a handshake. Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Jan. 2024 Keeping with the spirit of the movie, the Kens were not invited to spend the night, and Gosling, who was unable to stop by for a hello, sent a Scottish man to play the bagpipes and recite the classic Braveheart speech to the Barbies. Shania Russell, EW.com, 6 Aug. 2023 Tayler gave him a head nod that, to Tyler, was more than a simple hello. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024 Florence — she of the Machine — would pass through quickly, spectrally, dispensing soft hellos. Jon Mooallem, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2023 Did someone just greet me with a hello and walk me to a comfortable lounge area? Nick Kindelsperger, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 For the games, Monday would walk 200 feet to the stadium, say a high-tech hello to Steiner, and the two would call the action. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023 At a trail walk in Morin’s honor this month, that sentiment came in the form of hugs from strangers whom Patty said didn’t know her daughter well but had exchanged pleasantries — hellos and smiles — with the 37-year-old. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2023 Fontenot and Liu bounded around the common spaces at the front of the mansion, giving out effusive hellos and introductions. Yiren Lu, New York Times, 31 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hello.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of hollo

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hello was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near hello

Cite this Entry

“Hello.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hello. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hello

noun
hel·​lo hə-ˈlō How to pronounce hello (audio)
he-
plural hellos
: an expression or gesture of greeting
used in greeting, in answering the telephone, or to express surprise

More from Merriam-Webster on hello

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