Matey
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Matey is an adjective meaning (UK) Sociable or friendly.
Meaning
(UK) Sociable or friendly.
More Meanings
- (informal) Diminutive of mate, friend.
- (nautical, slang) A fellow sailor; often used affectedly, especially when portraying a pirate.
- (nautical, slang) A dockyard worker.
- Alternative form of maty (“native house servant in India”).
Example Sentences
Hello, matey, just back from the pub?
You've been very matey with that new bird.
She asked in what sort of accident I had broken my back, and when I told her that I had been shot down she became much more matey.
Adolphus Egerton Ryerson was his full name, but he insisted on being called Egerton Ryerson, under the mistaken conviction that this was much more matey than Adolphus.
Word Forms
- matier
- matiest
- mateys
Synonyms for matey
Depending on context, synonyms include friendly, chummy, palsy-walsy, pally.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include chummy, pally, palsy-walsy, friendly, congenial, hail-fellow-well-met.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.