What does ahoy mean?
Ahoy is an exclamation used to attract attention or greet someone, most famously associated with life at sea. Sailors traditionally cried 'land ahoy!' or 'ship ahoy!' to announce a sighting of land or another vessel, making the word one of the most recognizable relics of nautical language. Beyond its seafaring role, ahoy can serve as a cheerful, slightly whimsical greeting in everyday conversation, often chosen for its playful, old-fashioned charm. The word is informal and rarely appears in formal contexts, but its strong association with ships, pirates, and maritime adventure gives it vivid cultural resonance. It is also remembered for an unusual distinction: Alexander Graham Bell favored 'ahoy' as the proper way to answer the telephone, though 'hello' ultimately won out. Today ahoy survives both as a genuine term among boating enthusiasts and as a lighthearted nod to nautical tradition.
interjectionA nautical cry or greeting used to attract attention, especially from or to a passing ship.
- A cry used by sailors to attract attention or hail another vessel, especially in the phrases 'land ahoy' and 'ship ahoy'.
- A general greeting or call to get someone's attention, sometimes used playfully outside nautical contexts.
""Land ahoy!" shouted the lookout from the crow's nest."
""Ship ahoy!" cried the deckhand, spotting sails on the horizon."
""Ahoy there!" he called out cheerfully as his friend stepped aboard."
Alexander Graham Bell insisted that 'ahoy' should be the standard way to answer the telephone — and he never stopped using it himself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ahoy
Ahoy originated as a mariner's hail, formed from the older cry 'hoy', which was itself used to call attention and was also the name of a small sailing vessel. The word appeared in English in the mid-18th century, and it parallels similar attention-calling cries in other European languages, such as Dutch 'hoi'. Its enduring fame comes from its adoption into standard nautical usage in phrases like 'land ahoy' and 'ship ahoy'.
How ahoy is actually used
Ahoy is strongly associated with maritime tradition and carries a playful, old-fashioned flavor when used on land. It is informal and largely confined to greetings, hails, and the fixed phrases 'land ahoy' and 'ship ahoy'; it is not used in formal speech or writing.
Easily confused with ahoy
An alloy is a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, whereas ahoy is an exclamation used to hail someone at sea.