Hee
/hiː/noun
An interjection representing a high-pitched laugh or cry, often used in the repeated form “hee-hee.”
Did you know?“Hee” is generally considered imitative or echoic, meaning its origin lies in reproducing a human sound rather than descending from an older root with a fixed literal meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistoric speech
Human vocalization
hee
“A high-pitched vocal sound associated with laughter, surprise, or excitement”
Old English period
English
hē
“Sound-symbolic vocal expression; evidence for this exact interjection is limited”
Middle English period
English
hee
“An orthographic representation of a high or laughing vocalization”
16th–17th Century
English
hee-hee
“A repeated representation of light, mocking, or nervous laughter”
Modern English
English
hee
“An interjection or sound used to represent a high-pitched laugh or cry”