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.感嘆詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

用法筆記

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

常見錯誤

❌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.感嘆詞B2
釋義

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

例句

"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.

同義詞
  • sighting

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

  • look

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

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

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