Dude

/duːd/ · noun

Meaning

(chiefly US, Canada, colloquial) A man, generally a younger man..

Definitions by Sense

1. (chiefly US, Canada, colloquial) A man, generally a younger man.
2. (colloquial, used in the vocative) A term of address for someone, typically a man, particularly when cautioning them or offering advice.
3. (slang) A tourist.
4. (birdwatching, derogatory) A birder who has expensive clothing and equipment, but scant knowledge of birds, their fieldmarks, habits, etc.
5. (archaic) A man who is very concerned about his dress and appearance; a dandy, a fop.
6. (slang) A term of address, usually for a man, conveying awe, excitement, surprise, annoyance, etc.
7. To address someone as dude.
8. To take a vacation in a dude ranch.

Example Sentences

So we were at the mall and these two dudes just walk up to us and say "hi".

A very pretty little dudine of Fifth Avenue is much admired by the dudes in her neighborhood, and it has been observed on several occasions that she appeared to be able to discriminate between them, and not only shows a preference for one dude over another; but is able to recognize the dudes she likes after an interval of separation. It is said, also, that in accepting the attentions of her dude wooers, she shows a peculiar mimicry of the coquettish manners of human girls.

At first sight it may seem odd that the character-reader should in any case declare himself incapable of distinguishing sex in writing. […] The most prevalent reason for this probably lies in the so-called "emancipation of women," who, on aping the masculine pursuits and propensities, really acquire the virile tone of character. In a similar way the "dude" of the day becomes androgynous; and the result in one case is a masculine soul in a woman's shape, and in the other a feminine soul in the degraded form of the so-called "dude".

At first Europeans didn't realize what chocolate could be—poor guys! [Christopher] Columbus saw cacao beans in 1503, but he didn't have a clue. (No surprise—dude thought he was in India!)

Though the term "dude" originated as a term to describe a certain type of male, and then later to refer to men in general, today it is often used to refer to both genders, at least in certain parts of the United States. Dudeism doesn't recognize "dude" as a gender-specific word. We consider both women and men who exhibit dude-like qualities to be "dudes," and assert that the word "dude" can mean many different things depending on the context.

My grandpa fought in World War II He was such a noble dude I can’t even finish school Missed my mom and left too soon

Dude, I'd be careful around the principal; he's having a bad day.

Watch it, dude; you almost knocked me over.

Synonyms for dude

Antonyms for dude

Related Words

Word Forms

• dudes
• dood
• dewd
• d00d
• dudeing
• duding
• duded

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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