buddy

1 of 3

noun

bud·​dy ˈbə-dē How to pronounce buddy (audio)
plural buddies
1
2
: fellow
used especially in informal address

buddy

2 of 3

verb

buddied; buddying

intransitive verb

: to become friendly
usually used with up or with

buddy

3 of 3

adjective

: featuring a friendship or partnership between the two main usually male characters
a buddy movie

Examples of buddy in a Sentence

Noun His fishing buddy just bought a new boat. my old college buddy is the one person I can always turn to
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
French Bulldogs are great little homebodies and cuddly lap dogs, but folks who want a running buddy or a pooch to take on long hikes may want to look at other pups, as breeding has led to many Frenchies having breathing issues that make jogging a bit of a challenge. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024 The Australian twin sister duo, made up of Jessie and Lisa Origliasso, are longtime buddies of Feldmann, who was the lead singer of band Goldfinger before becoming pop-punk’s foremost producer. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024 In her estimation, the Marilyn Monroe–Jane Russell movie is the first female buddy comedy. Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 This uncle’s job is to be a buddy and a role model. — Nicole Nicole: Not to mention the fact that this uncle was passing his judgment from his perch as a long-term guest in his sister’s home. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 This uncle’s job is to be a buddy and a role model. – Nicole Dear Nicole: Not to mention the fact that this uncle was passing his judgment from his perch as a long-term guest in his sister’s home. Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 To apply to attend or be a buddy: comfortzonecamp.org. Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 We were told that at one point in the evening, Messi jumped behind the DJ booth, where his buddy, Argentine music producer Bizarrap, was spinning. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Peril, some potty humor in Dragon Warrior buddy comedy. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Some young fish like to buddy up with stinging jellies to stay safe from predators. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2016 Only Jack Harlow and Dua Lipa buddy up at Variety's Hitmakers Brunch, presented by IHG Hotels and Resorts, at Studio 13 at City Market Social House on Dec. 3 in Los Angeles. People Staff, Peoplemag, 9 Dec. 2022 To mark its inclusion, Harry agreed to buddy up with Tokyo Paralympics silver medalist Thomas Schmidberger for a round of doubles back in April. Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 Nov. 2022 The chance to buddy up with some of the best in the game is another opportunity first-time All-Stars should not overlook, Bieber said. Joe Noga, cleveland, 18 July 2022 Our lives will never be the same without you buddy. Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE.com, 4 July 2022 Tweens and teens can buddy up at Edge and Vibe, respectively, two chic hangouts with activities curated specifically for them. Brie Schwartz, Woman's Day, 11 May 2022 To mark its inclusion, Harry agreed to buddy up with 2021 Tokyo Paralympics silver medalist Thomas Schmidberger for a round of doubles. Omid Scobie, Harper's BAZAAR, 20 Apr. 2022 His political opponents are aghast that a former human-rights lawyer, imprisoned as a student activist for opposing South Korea’s own military dictatorship, could buddy up to a man like Kim. Time, 23 June 2021
Adjective
Swift shared a smile with buddy Blake Shelton backstage at the 2007 CMT Awards. Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 13 Dec. 2022 No current quarterback can match the power runs of Allen, the Padres fan whose buddy Trevor Hoffman married a Bills cheerleader. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Dec. 2022 There may never be another buddy comedy pair with chemistry like John Cho and Kal Penn. Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 30 Nov. 2022 It’s a buddy movie where the buddies can also go their separate ways. Marta Balaga, Variety, 20 Aug. 2022 Blockbuster adopts that formula but also adapts it; through Percy, in particular, Blockbuster becomes not just a workplace comedy but also a family comedy and a buddy comedy. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2022 Since Brett Favre arrived in 1992, the Packers have 78 more wins than the Bears … With last Monday’s win, Kyle Shanahan has won seven straight regular-season meetings over his buddy Sean McVay of the Rams. Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Oct. 2022 Post-apocalyptic survival meets the anxious buddy humor of Humpday in Biosphere, a mysterious and hilarious pic that really can’t be discussed much without saying things a prospective viewer would be better off not hearing. John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2022 His friend, Tim Pyles, reached out to his buddy Brian Witkin, head of Pacific Records in San Diego, who made the connection with Gibbons. San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buddy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably baby talk alteration of brother

First Known Use

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buddy was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near buddy

Cite this Entry

“Buddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buddy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

buddy

noun
bud·​dy
ˈbəd-ē
plural buddies

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