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• guy
  guy

  noun

  a man or boy; fellow.
• Guy
  Guy

  noun

  a male given name: from a Germanic word meaning “woods.”
• GUY
  GUY

  abbreviation

  Guyana (international car registration)

guy

¹ American  

[gahy] / gaɪ /

noun

1. Informal. a man or boy; fellow.

   He's a nice guy.

2. Informal. none guys people, regardless of their gender.

   Could one of you guys help me with this?

3. Chiefly British Slang. a grotesquely dressed person.

4. British. Often Guy a grotesque effigy of Guy Fawkes that is paraded through the streets and burned on Guy Fawkes Day.

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verb (used with object)

guyed, guying

1. to jeer at or make fun of; ridicule.

idioms

1. give the guy to, to escape from (someone); give (someone) the slip.

guy ² American  

[gahy] / gaɪ /

noun

1. a rope, cable, or appliance used to guide and steady an object being hoisted or lowered, or to secure anything likely to shift its position.

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verb (used with object)

guyed, guying

1. to guide, steady, or secure with a guy or guys.

Guy ³ American  

[gahy, gee] / gaɪ, gi /

noun

1. a male given name: from a Germanic word meaning “woods.”

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guy ¹ British  

/ ɡaɪ /

noun

1. informal a man or youth

2. a crude effigy of Guy Fawkes, usually made of old clothes stuffed with straw or rags, that is burnt on top of a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day

3. a person in shabby or ludicrously odd clothes

4. informal (plural) persons of either sex

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verb

1. (tr) to make fun of; ridicule

guy ² British  

/ ɡaɪ /

noun

1. a rope, chain, wire, etc, for anchoring an object, such as a radio mast, in position or for steadying or guiding it while being hoisted or lowered

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verb

1. (tr) to anchor, steady, or guide with a guy or guys

Guy ³ British  

/ ɡaɪ /

noun

1. Buddy, real name George Guy. born 1936, US blues singer and guitarist

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GUY ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Guyana (international car registration)

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Etymology

Origin of guy¹

First recorded in 1800–10; after Guy Fawkes

Origin of guy²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gi(e), from Old French guie “a guide,” derivative of guier to guide

Explanation

A guy is a dude, a boy, a man, or really anybody. It's an informal way to refer to a person, especially a male. But a group of people can be guys, even if they’re all female. Hey guys! Another meaning of guy comes from a guy rope, which is basically a rope that supports something like a tent to a pole. What a guy! So to guy means “to support” or “tie to” and not just physically. It’s almost like a “guide” which comes from Old French guie, and ultimately from a Germanic root. The sense attributed to a person or a fellow comes from two sources: a French proper name for a male (related to Guido in Italian) and Guy Fawkes, who famously plotted to blow up Parliament in 1605 and is still burned in effigy yearly on the British Guy Fawkes Day.

Example Sentences

“Is this THE GUY who was supposed to give us the $2 million or is this his relative?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2022

GO-TO GUY: Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs, who’s tied for fourth in the league with 61 receptions, caught 13 passes in each of the past two games to set an NFL record.

From Washington Times • Nov. 18, 2016

GUY 2: And look who’s with him — Billy Joel!

From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2016

Kobe Bryant: Has a profile but it was definitely written by a fan: The phrase "GUY CODE" is used.

From Time • Jul. 11, 2011

GUY FAWKES' DAY. 5th.—In order to vary our monotonous routine, we determined to celebrate the day; extra grog was issued to the crew, and also for the first time a proportion of preserved plum-pudding.

From In the Arctic Seas A Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin and his Companions by McClintock, Francis Leopold

Related Words

• dude
• fellow
• lad
• man