# buddy

/ˈbədi/ (US) · /bˈʌdi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/buddy
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a friend

noun · CEFR A2 · Informal · American English

a close friend or a casual acquaintance.

For teachers: a close friend or companion. Frequently used in American English to denote a peer.

- He went out for a few drinks with his old college buddies.
- After years of working in the same department, they became close buddies who spent most weekends hiking together.

### 2. activity partner

noun · CEFR B1

a person you are paired with for a specific activity to help or stay safe.

For teachers: a partner assigned to or chosen by an individual for a specific activity, often for mutual safety or assistance.

- The teacher told every student to find a buddy before we entered the museum.
- In scuba diving, you must always stay close to your dive buddy to ensure help is available in case of equipment failure.

### 4. to pair up

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to pair someone with a partner for an activity.

For teachers: to assign a partner to an individual for a specific task or period, often used in 'buddy up'.

- We need to buddy up for the hike so that no one gets lost.
- The manager decided to buddy the new recruits with experienced staff members during the first week of orientation.

Usage: Often used as the phrasal verb 'buddy up'.

## Examples

- He is going to the cinema with his old school buddy.
- We have been hiking buddies for years and try to explore a new trail every weekend.
- The program pairs each new employee with a workplace buddy to help them navigate the company culture during their first month on the job.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.