guy en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- [ɡɑj] (British, Southern, Standard)
- [ɡɑɪ] (Australia)
- [ɡaɪ] (Canada)
- gī
- (Australia) audio
- /ɡaɪ/
- [ɡaɪ] (Received-Pronunciation, US)
- [ɡəj] (dialectal)
- (US) audio
Etymology
Coined by semantic widening from the name of Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an English Catholic executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, which also came to refer to effigies of his image burned annually on Guy Fawkes Night. The name Guy is from Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from Proto-Germanic *widuz. Cognate with Italian Guido. Doublet of guido.
Meanings
- (Ireland, UK) An effigy of a man burned on a bonfire on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot (5th November).
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(dated) A person of eccentric appearance or dress; a "fright".
Why are you so ashamed that her child saw you looking a guy, sprawled on the floor, spilling cakes?
1978, Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks, Abacus, published 2014, page 138:And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy, And who “doesn’t think she dances, but would rather like to try” […].
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:“But shan’t I look a guy?” “Not a bit of it. Jist the very kick!”
1845, Henry Cockton, The Love Match, Clark: W.M, page 77: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.
1865, Margaret Oliphant, “Miss Marjoribanks”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume 97, page 316:
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(colloquial) A man or boy; a fellow.
“You don't say so? I thought he was some guy from Pennsylvania.”
1873, ‘Mark Twain’, The Gilded Age:"Hi, guys. Did you have a fun time at school?" said Katherine. "Yeah we did," said Stacy.
2007, Manook Sarkisyan, Jack and the Journey through Time, page 219:She was one of the guys, but they were also very much aware that she was an attractive young woman.
2014, Joel Williamson, Elvis Presley: A Southern Life: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.
2016 March 9, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, The Guardian:
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(especially, in-plural, qualifier:sometimes controversial) A person (see usage notes).
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.
2025 September 5, Angela Collier, “CONTACT (backyard radio telescope part II)”https://youtu.be/0j4_-7rwWjE, YouTubeMy “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.
2009, Carole McCaskill, WHAT COLOR IS MY RIBBON? : An Ovarian Cancer Success Story:You know, I don't believe any girl ever had any better friends than you two guys
1932, Sidney Howard, The Greeks Had a Word for Them, spoken by Jean (Ina Claire), (addressing two women):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.
2010, Meg Blackburn Losey, The Secret History of Consciousness: Ancient Keys to our Future Survival:
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(colloquial) Anything seen to have character and personality, such as an animal or a toy.
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.
2011, Richard S. Stripp Sr., Mommy, I Wish I Could Tell You What They Did To Me In School Today:The dog's left foreleg was broken, poor little guy.
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(informal, term-of-address) dude, Buster, Mack, fella, bud, man.
Hey, guy, give a man a break, would ya?
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(colloquial) Thing, item (term that can be used to refer to any entity)
This guy, here, controls the current, and this guy, here, measures the voltage.
This guy is the partial derivative of that guy with respect to x.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| guys | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
girl · woman · bird · chick · broad · jane · dame · gal
Deriveds
guy with camera · cis-guy · pizza guy · bad guy · I'm a trans guy · cable guy · guy friend · fall guy · cis guy · as the next guy · Doomguy · little guy · wise-guy · nice guys finish last · guy line · guy-wire · stand-up guy · fall-guy · wiseguy · guydom · cisguy · nice guy syndrome · that guy · guylike · Guys Forest · guyliner · one guy · nice guy · go-to guy · bug guy · transguy · you guys · tough guy · guyness · guy-friend · guy talk · everyguy · guyhood · I'm a guy · regular guy · guy code · family guy · guybrows · guyline · this guy · tough-guy · trans guy · my guy · First Guy · guyish · big guy · Guys Hill · don't be that guy · wise guy · wife guy · should see the other guy · demiguy · good guy · divorced guy energy · merguy · reply guy
Synonyms
guy · fellow · callant · homeboy · chappy · wye · sapling · youth · health · chav · rooster · dog [⇒ thesaurus] (slang) · gate · bruh · bhoy · little boy · gadgie · manling · nigga · gloak · knave · dude · chap · shalk · pillicock · younker · lede · punk · dawg · chield · bro · dude · shaveling · ninja · fella · broski · boy · gink · fella · were · homey · wer · feely-omi · boykin · seg · cove · bloke · covey · page · pillicock · cat · son · springald · wallah · boy · guy · geezer · boyo · lad · omi · gome · man child · homey · joe · sonny · chap · bloke · yob · bro · stripling
Translations (140)
eo ulo (male, man) · mk дечко (male, man) · hu fickó (male, man) · eo uloj (in plural: people) · pt tipo (male, man) · cs chlap (male, man) · it tizio (male, man) · pt carinha (character) · mfe boug (male, man) · cy bachan (male, man) · fi tyypit (in plural: people) · pt caras (in plural: people) · cmn 男人 (male, man) · de Typ (male, man) · cs borec (male, man) · ru лю́ди (in plural: people) · nds-de Keerl (male, man) · es chochera (male, man) · ru ма́льчик (male, man) · nl gasten (in plural: people) · cy boi (male, man) · fr mec (male, man) · nl gozer (male, man) · de Kerl (male, man) · es mishule (male, man) · ja ヤツ (male, man) · tt ир (male, man) · it tipo (male, man) · cmn 人們 /人们 (in plural: people) · syl ꠙꠥꠀ (male, man) · de Typen (in plural: people) · bg прия́тел (male, man) · yi חבֿרה־מאַן (male, man) · lou boug (male, man) · es man (male, man) · pt bicho (Buster, fella, man, bud) · nl kerel (male, man) · ja あいつ (male, man) · mi autaia (male, man) · kw den (male, man) · es prójimo (male, man) · ka ჯეელი (male, man) · cs slang typ (male, man) · cs maník (male, man) · ota حریف (Buster, fella, man, bud) · et kutt (male, man) · fr gars (in plural: people) · ja やつら (in plural: people) · ru мужчи́на (male, man) · ja やつ (male, man) · el τύπος (Buster, fella, man, bud) · ka ტიპი (male, man) · ka ჭაბუკი (male, man) · da fyr (male, man) · sco chiel (male, man) · nds-de Kierl (male, man) · pt pessoal (in plural: people) · ja 奴 (male, man) · pt cara (male, man) · fr type (male, man) · izh priha (male, man) · cmn 人 (in plural: people) · pt gente (in plural: people) · bg чове́к (male, man) · ka ბიჭი (male, man) · mk тип (male, man) · is náungi (male, man) · tt халык (in plural: people) · nrf bouonhoumme (male, man) · es cuate (male, man) · ko 녀석 (male, man) · pl facet (male, man) · ka ყმაწვილი (male, man) · nl jongens (in plural: people) · cs chlápek (male, man) · gd gille (male, man) · es gaché (male, man) · es pata (male, man) · tt егет (male, man) · ja 野郎 ref. こいつ (male, man) · ca paio (male, man) · cs (ty, Moravian ti) lidi (in plural: people) · pl chłop (male, man) · is fýr (male, man) · cjs оол (male, man) · pt cara (Buster, fella, man, bud) · es vato (male, man) · kw gwas (male, man) · es güey (male, man) · nl gast (male, man) · ar رَجُل (male, man) · ru па́рень (male, man) · tt малай (male, man) · bg хо́ра (in plural: people) · es mae (male, man) · nl vent (male, man) · as ল’ৰা (male, man) · fi kaverit (in plural: people) · es gachó (male, man) · ko 놈 (male, man) · pt colega (Buster, fella, man, bud) · es tercio (male, man) · es tipo (male, man) · ja 奴ら (in plural: people) · de Leute (in plural: people) · es tío (male, man) · as আপা (male, man) · ja そいつ (male, man) · pt bicho (character) · hu srác (male, man) · fi kundi (male, man) · bn ছেলে (male, man) · lou gayar (male, man) · cs Moravian děcka (ty) (in plural: people) · pt parceiro m/parceira (Buster, fella, man, bud) · ro tip (male, man) · pt galera (in plural: people) · ota حریف (male, man) · is gæi (male, man) · is kauði (male, man) · ru ю́ноша (male, man) · et tüüp (male, man) · pt bicho (male, man) · fr gars (male, man) · af ou (male, man) · sv kille (male, man) · ru молодо́й челове́к (male, man) · pt chapa (male, man) · fo fýrur (male, man) · is gaur (male, man) · de Kerle (in plural: people) · cs colloquial (male, man) · cs chlapík (male, man) · es buey (male, man) · it gente (in plural: people) · ckb کابرا (male, man) · ka კაცი (male, man) · es gallo (male, man) · cmn 人 (male, man) · io kerlo (male, man)