Hello Definition

hĕ-lō, hə-

hello, hellos

interjection

Used as a greeting or response, as in telephoning.

Webster's New World

Used to express astonishment or surprise.

Hello! what's this in my soup?

Webster's New World

Used to attract attention.

Webster's New World

A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence.

Hello, everyone.

Wiktionary

A call for response if it is not clear if anyone is present or listening, or if a telephone conversation may have been disconnected.

Hello? Is anyone there?

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

hellos

An instance of saying or exclaiming “hello”

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

verb

To say or exclaim “hello” (to)

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Hello

Singular:

hello

Plural:

hellos

Hello (first attested in 1833), from holla, hollo (attested 1588). This variant of hallo is often credited to Thomas Edison as a coinage for telephone use, but its appearance in print predates the invention of the telephone by several decades.

From Wiktionary
Alteration of hallo alteration of obsolete holla stop! perhaps from Old French hola ho ho! la there (from Latin illāc that way)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Possibly from the Old High German and Old Saxon verb halon, holon (“to bring something, to gather”), akin to English hale or hail.

From Wiktionary