ahoy

IPA/əˈhɔɪ/
KK[əhˈɔɪ]IPA/əˈhɔɪ/

ahoy — exclamation

1. a word shouted from a boat or ship to get the attention of people on another ves

1.exclamationB2
Definition

a word shouted from a boat or ship to get the attention of people on another vessel or on the shore, used as a nautical way of hailing or greeting

Example

Mei stood at the bow and yelled, "Ahoy there! Can you hear us?"

ahoy + there for direct address

"Ahoy! Is everyone safe on that boat?" the coastguard called through the fog.

Common collocations
  • ahoy there
  • ahoy ahoy
  • cry ahoy
  • shout ahoy
Synonyms
  • hello

    the standard everyday greeting; not tied to maritime use

  • hey

    informal and much more common; lacks the nautical flavour of 'ahoy'

  • yo

    very informal, used among friends; no maritime connotation

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in nautical or maritime contexts. In modern everyday speech, 'ahoy' is extremely rare and may sound theatrical or playful.

Common Mistakes

Ahoy, how are you?' (too casual/modern for the register)
Ahoy there! Glad to see you made it.
The word is a hail, not a casual greeting like 'hello.'

2. a shout from someone on a ship who sees something far away, such as land, anothe

2.exclamationB2
Definition

a shout from someone on a ship who sees something far away, such as land, another vessel, or an object on the water

Example

"Land ahoy!" shouted the lookout, and the tired crew rushed to the railing.

pattern: [sight] + ahoy

Diego pointed to the horizon and yelled "Ship ahoy!" to alert the captain.

Common collocations
  • land ahoy
  • ship ahoy
  • sail ahoy
  • cry ahoy
Synonyms
  • sighting

    a noun, not an exclamation; used in formal reports ('Sighting off the bow!')

  • look

    informal ('Look! Over there!'); lacks the specific nautical tradition

Usage Note

Frequently combined with the name of the thing spotted in front of 'ahoy' (e.g. 'Land ahoy!', 'Ship ahoy!', 'Sail ahoy!'). This pattern is rarely used outside of historical or literary maritime contexts.

Common Mistakes

Ahoy land!' (wrong word order)
Land ahoy!
The sighted object comes before 'ahoy', not after.

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

Unlike 'hello', which is a neutral everyday greeting used in any situation, 'ahoy' belongs almost exclusively to nautical contexts and is rarely used in daily conversation. 'Hey' is much more common and informal, used to grab someone's attention on land or in casual settings, but it lacks the traditional maritime atmosphere of 'ahoy.' 'Yo' is very informal slang, often used among young people or in urban contexts, and would sound out of place on a boat. If you are writing a story set at sea or trying to sound like an old-fashioned sailor, 'ahoy' creates the right tone; in a normal office or street setting, use 'hello' or 'hey' instead.

hello ↗hey ↗yo ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • ahoy there
  • land ahoy
  • ship ahoy
  • cry ahoy

Etymology

DutchEnglish

The word 'ahoy' comes from the Dutch greeting 'hoi', which means 'hello'. English sailors picked it up during the 14th and 15th centuries through close contact with Dutch ships and ports. The form 'ahoy' was first recorded in English around 1750 and quickly became the standard way to hail another vessel at sea. The unrelated word 'hoy' (a type of small coastal sailing ship) may have influenced its spread.