# dude

/ˈdud/ (US) · /djˈuːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dude
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a man or person

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal · American English

an informal word for a man or a guy.

For teachers: an informal referent for a male person. In modern urban dialects, it is frequently used as a gender-neutral term for any person.

- I saw some dude waiting outside your house earlier this morning.
- The dude sitting at the corner table has been staring at his laptop for three hours without ordering a second coffee.

### 2. a friend or term of address

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal · American English · Slang

a word you use to address a friend or someone you are talking to.

For teachers: a vocative used to address a contemporary, typically expressing familiarity or camaraderie.

- Hey dude, do you want to go to the cinema tonight?
- Listen, dude, I appreciate the advice, but I think I need to handle this situation on my own terms.

### 4. a dandy or fancy dresser

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a man who cares too much about his clothes and looking perfect.

For teachers: a man fastidious about his dress and appearance. This sense is largely historical but survives in the term 'dude ranch'.

- In the old stories, he was quite the dude, always wearing silk hats.
- The late nineteenth-century press often mocked the city dude who arrived in the West with pristine boots and no practical skills.

### 5. to dress up

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · American English · Slang

to put on your best or most stylish clothes.

For teachers: to dress in an elaborate or stylish manner, typically used with the particle 'up'.

- He got all duded up for the party in a new suit.
- They spent the entire afternoon getting duded up for the gala, only to realize they had the wrong date for the event.

## Examples

- Hey dude, how are you doing today?
- I saw some dude waiting by your car, but he left when I walked closer.

---

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.