dude
dude Lexical Profile
dude Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A man, fellow, or guy; also used informally as a casual term of address for a person of any gender.
"That dude over by the coffee shop plays the guitar remarkably well."
American A city dweller or easterner who vacations on a western ranch, typically someone unfamiliar with rural life outside a city.
"The seasoned ranch hands patiently taught the visiting dudes how to saddle their horses."
North American A man who is excessively fastidious about his clothes, grooming, and fashionable appearance.
"In the late nineteenth century, the term referred to a fashionable dude strolling down Broadway in a tailored suit."
• interjection
North American Used in informal speech to express surprise, excitement, shock, frustration, or disbelief.
"Dude, you will not believe what just happened at the office!"
• verb
North American To dress up in elaborate, stylish, or flashy attire (usually followed by 'up').
"The brothers duded themselves up in their finest suits for the Saturday night dance."
Word Nuance & Usage
While historically male-specific, 'dude' is frequently used as a gender-neutral term of address in modern informal speech, particularly when addressing a group or expressing surprise.
• Rhymes for dude
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in New York City around 1883 as a slang term for an overly fastidious man or dandy, possibly derived from the dialectal 'duds' (clothes) or inspired by the song 'Yankee Doodle'.