Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "hippy" na iya bambanta dangane da tushen, amma gabaɗaya, tana nufin mutumin da ya ƙi bin salon salon al'adu da falsafar da ta fito a cikin 1960s da 1970s. Wasu daga cikin halayen da ke da alaƙa da hippies sun haɗa da ƙin yarda da ƙa'idodi da dabi'u na al'umma, rungumar zaman lafiya, ƙauna, da ruhi, sha'awar muhalli da dorewa, da sha'awar kiɗa, fasaha, da sauran nau'ikan nuna kai. .Akan yi amfani da kalmar “hippy” a wasu lokuta don kwatanta mutumin da ake ganinsa a matsayin malalaci, mai ɓacin rai, ko rashin damuwa da nasara ta al’ada ko abin duniya. Duk da haka, mutane da yawa waɗanda suka bayyana a matsayin hippies suna ganin kansu a matsayin masu sadaukar da kai ga kyakkyawar ra'ayi na duniya, kuma suna watsi da mummunan ra'ayi da ke hade da kalmar.