hope this finds you well
/hoʊp ðɪs faɪndz juː wɛl/
Very CommonThe default corporate email opener that says nothing and is understood by everyone to mean nothing.
Ironically, the phrase became so hollow that using it sincerely is now almost impossible. Any email that leads with 'hope this finds you well' has already signaled it is a formal or semi-cold interaction.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | hope this finds you well. quick question about the invoice you sent in March. | The opener does no work and the real purpose follows immediately. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | I have received this email so many times that 'hope this finds you well' now makes me anxious. something is about to happen. | The phrase has become a trigger for anticipating bad news or a large ask. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 03 | dear [professor], hope this finds you well. I have a quick question about the exam. love, [student who did not attend class] | The phrase is used performatively by someone who needs something and is deploying maximum politeness. | reddit, 2022 |
| 04 | I started replying to 'hope this finds you well' emails with 'it did not' and now fewer people email me. | Subverting the hollow opener as a way to reduce unwanted contact. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Opening a formal or semi-formal email to someone you do not know well.
- Poking fun at the emptiness of corporate email openers.
Do not use it when
- Emailing a close colleague you talk to every day.
- You want to open with something that reads as genuine warmth.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
The phrase has roots in formal letter-writing conventions. As email replaced paper correspondence, the opener carried over and eventually became so common it lost all meaning. It became a target of office humor online in the 2010s.
- First seen
- 2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/hope-this-finds-you-wellUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0