Short, friendly and ubiquitous, the little word “hi” does a lot of work. Merriam‑Webster’s entry (dated Jan. 12, 2026) defines “hi” chiefly as an exclamation used especially as a greeting—think the familiar line, “just called to say hi.” It’s the informal hello that opens conversations without fanfare.
The dictionary entry also highlights that capitalized HI serves as an abbreviation with several distinct senses. As listed there (under “HI 2 of 2 abbreviation”), HI can stand for: 1) Hawaii, 2) high intensity, and 3) humidity index. Those brief, practical uses show how the same two letters shift from casual salutation to technical shorthand depending on context.
That dual life—gentle greeting and compact abbreviation—reminds us how flexible language is. Whether you’re answering a call from a friend or reading a report that cites HI, those two letters convey very different tones, all while remaining succinct and instantly recognizable.
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