guy
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɡæ/
enpr: gī
ipa: /ɡaɪ/
ipa: [ɡaɪ]
ipa: [ɡɑj]
ipa: [ɡaɪ]
ipa: [ɡəj]
ipa: [ɡɑɪ]
rhymes: -aɪ
Forms: form: guys
Etymology: Coined by semantic widening from the name of Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an English Catholic executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, from Old French Gui, a form of Proto-Germanic *Wido, a short form of names beginning with the element witu "wood" from Proto-Germanic *widuz, such as Witold and Widukind. Cognate with Italian Guido.
Senses: glosses: An effigy of a man burned on a bonfire on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot (5th November).
examples: text: “But shan’t I look a guy?”
“Not a bit of it. Jist the very kick!”
ref: 1845, Henry Cockton, The Love Match, Clark: W.M, page 77:
text: I am always a perfect guy, whatever I wear, when I sit against a red curtain. You men say that a woman always knows when she’s good-looking, but I am happy to say I know when I look a guy.
ref: 1865, Margaret Oliphant, “Miss Marjoribanks”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume 97, page 316:
text: And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy,
And who “doesn’t think she dances, but would rather like to try” […].
ref: 1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, composer, “s:The_Mikado/Act_I”, in […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], →OCLC:
text: Why are you so ashamed that her child saw you looking a guy, sprawled on the floor, spilling cakes?
ref: 1978, Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks, Abacus, published 2014, page 138:
glosses: A person of eccentric appearance or dress; a "fright".
examples: text: “You don't say so? I thought he was some guy from Pennsylvania.”
ref: 1873, ‘Mark Twain’, The Gilded Age:
text: "Hi, guys. Did you have a fun time at school?" said Katherine.
"Yeah we did," said Stacy.
ref: 2007, Manook Sarkisyan, Jack and the Journey through Time, page 219:
text: She was one of the guys, but they were also very much aware that she was an attractive young woman.
ref: 2014, Joel Williamson, Elvis Presley: A Southern Life:
text: Let’s be honest. “Have I kissed too many guys?” is not a question that mature, sexually active women are likely to be asking Google.
ref: 2016 March 9, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, The Guardian:
synonyms: word: dude
word: fella
word: homey
word: bro
word: bloke
word: chap
word: bhoy
word: boy
word: boykin
word: boyo
word: callant
word: chav
word: feely-omi
word: guy
word: knave
word: lad
word: little boy
word: man child
word: manling
word: page
word: pillicock
word: sapling
word: shaveling
word: son
word: sonny
word: springald
word: stripling
word: yob
word: younker
word: youth
word: bloke
word: boy
word: bro
word: broski
word: bruh
word: cat
word: chap
word: chappy
word: chield
word: cove
word: covey
word: dog [⇒ thesaurus] (slang)
word: dawg
word: dude
word: fella
word: fellow
word: gadgie
word: gate
word: geezer
word: gink
word: gloak
word: gome
word: guy
word: health
word: homeboy
word: homey
word: joe
word: lede
word: nigga
word: ninja
word: omi
word: pillicock
word: punk
word: rooster
word: seg
word: shalk
word: wallah
word: wer
word: were
word: wye
coordinate_terms: gal
broad
dame
girl
jane
woman
bird
chick
glosses: A man or boy; a fellow.
examples: text: My “Guys” actually constitute a collection of people that range from my nearest and dearest girlfriends, my immediate and extended family, co-workers and acquaintances that care.
ref: 2009, Carole McCaskill, WHAT COLOR IS MY RIBBON? : An Ovarian Cancer Success Story:
text: My “guys,” as I call the group, are loving and hilarious, serious and the epitome of love. They are both male and female in their presence and have never had the experience of inhabiting a physical body—they are beings of light.
ref: 2010, Meg Blackburn Losey, The Secret History of Consciousness: Ancient Keys to our Future Survival:
text: I recently rewatched the original Star Wars trilogy. I'm not a Star Wars guy, but I did enjoy them a lot more than I did the first time. / The movie seemed more like just Ellie's personal journey into being, like, "Wow, religion can be cool, I guess", which is fine, but I'm more of a sci-fi guy, so I would rather read the book.
ref: 2025 September 5, Angela Collier, “CONTACT (backyard radio telescope part II)”https://youtu.be/0j4_-7rwWjE, YouTube
qualifier: often controversial
glosses: A person (see usage notes).
examples: text: The dog's left foreleg was broken, poor little guy.
text: I just want to play with my guys. My guys are my friends, they're stuffed animals or little action figures I have a lot of them.
ref: 2011, Richard S. Stripp Sr., Mommy, I Wish I Could Tell You What They Did To Me In School Today:
glosses: Anything seen to have character and personality, such as an animal or a toy.
examples: text: Hey, guy, give a man a break, would ya?
glosses: Buster, Mack, fella, bud, man.
examples: text: This guy, here, controls the current, and this guy, here, measures the voltage.
text: This guy is the partial derivative of that guy with respect to x.
glosses: Thing, item (term that can be used to refer to any entity)
Derived terms: as the next guy
bad guy
big guy
cable guy
cis guy
cisguy
cis-guy
demiguy
divorced guy energy
don't be that guy
Doomguy
everyguy
fall guy
fall-guy
family guy
good guy
go-to guy
guybrows
guy code
guydom
guy friend
guy-friend
guyhood
guyish
guylike
guyline
guy line
guyliner
guyness
guy talk
guy-wire
I'm a guy
I'm a trans guy
little guy
merguy
my guy
nice guy
nice guys finish last
nice guy syndrome
one guy
pizza guy
regular guy
reply guy
should see the other guy
stand-up guy
ten for the big guy
that guy
this guy
tough guy
tough-guy
trans guy
transguy
wife guy
wise guy
wise-guy
wiseguy
you guys