English · Word Candidate

oi

/ɔɪ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: ois

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Said to get someone's attention; hey.

InterjectionRegister: UK

Examples

Oi, you with the red hat – what do you think you're doing?

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

An expression of surprise.

InterjectionRegister: UK

Examples

Oi! This is new!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

An exclamation of 'oi'.

NounRegister: UK

Examples

Such is the vocal power of water bailiffs and farmers that their ‘Ois!’ can be projected at small boys from anything up to five miles away and still induce heart-failure.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

A working-class punk rock subgenre of the 1970s, sometimes associated with racism.

NounRegister: UK

Examples

A way for Oi musicians to avoid responsibility for acts of violence that were preceded by listening to Oi is the claim that what people do with their music is out of the control of the musicians themselves.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “oi” mean?

Said to get someone's attention; hey.

Is “oi” formal or informal?

oi is generally UK.