ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bra

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈbɹɑ// UK //bɹˈɑː// bra Slang

n. a casual way to address a male friend. It is a short version of 'brother' and is used just like 'bro' or 'man'.

n. a colloquial term of address for a male peer or friend. A phonetic variant of 'bro', itself a clipping of 'brother', used primarily in informal or slang registers.


SIMPLE

What's up, bra?

CONTEXTUAL

He greeted his childhood friend with a quick 'Hey bra' before they started the game.

COMPLEX

The use of 'bra' as a vocative marker often signals a relaxed, fraternal social dynamic within specific subcultures, mirroring the function of 'dude' or 'mate' in other dialects.

Synonyms
Usage

Used almost exclusively as a vocative (a word used to address someone directly).

Pitfall

She is my bra.He is my bra.In this slang sense, the word is gender-specific and refers to a male friend; it is not a neutral synonym for 'friend'.

© 2026 English Reference