greet

Greet is a verb meaning to address and welcome someone upon meeting, usually with words such as hello or good morning or with a gesture such as a handshake, wave, or bow. The action is typically transitive, taking a person or group as its direct object: "She greeted her guests at the door." Greet can also describe responding to something with a particular sentiment, as in "The announcement was greeted with laughter."

The word comes from Old English grētan, meaning to address, salute, or welcome, and is cognate with similar Germanic forms such as Dutch groeten and German grüßen. The sense related to greeting dates to early English usage and broadened to include verbal and social acts of acknowledgment.

Greet inflects as greet, greeted, greeting. Commonly used with prepositional phrases such as greet someone with a smile or greet someone by name. Some languages have formal and informal greetings that reflect social status or familiarity; in multilingual settings, greetings may vary by time of day and context.

Greeting rituals vary across cultures and settings. Physical greetings range from handshakes to bows to kisses on the cheek, and may convey respect, friendliness, or distance. Etiquette regarding eye contact, tone, and proximity can influence how greetings are received, making the choice of greeting an important part of social interaction.