buddy

¹

[buhd-ee]

noun

plural

buddies 

1. comrade or chum (often used as a term of address).

2. bud.

verb (used without object)

buddied, buddying 

1. to be a companion; be friendly or on intimate terms.

verb phrase

1. buddy up to,  to become friendly with or curry the favor of.

   He was buddying up to the political bosses.

2. buddy up

   1. to become friendly; be on friendly or intimate terms.

   2. to work closely together.

      to buddy up with a student from another high school.

Buddy

²

[buhd-ee]

noun

1. a male given name.

buddy

/ ˈbʌdɪ /

noun

1. Also called (as a term of address): bud. an informal word for friend

2. a volunteer who visits and gives help and support to a person suffering from AIDS

3. a volunteer who gives help and support to a person who has become disabled but is returning to work

verb

1. (intr) to act as a buddy to a person suffering from AIDS

Word History and Origins

Origin of buddy¹

1840–50, perhaps reduced form of brother

Word History and Origins

Origin of buddy¹

C19: probably a baby-talk variant (US) of _brother

Example Sentences

But the phone that I still have was a phone that my buddy dropped in a swamp.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Early in the film, a chance reunion with an old acting-class buddy named Timothy, played by Crudup, sends him into an existential tailspin of doubt and regret.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But she also recently revealed in a Vanity Fair lie detector test that she failed a few exams along the way, blaming ChatGPT for being an unreliable study buddy.

Read more on Salon

Laguna Beach and Hurst will need a collective effort on Friday night from his best football buddies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A trip to the gym is always more fun with a partner and your “workout buddy” offering may encourage your recipient to try new things, as there’s safety in numbers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• associate 
• chum 
• co-worker 
• companion 
• comrade 
• confidant 
• crony 
• mate 
• peer 

When To Use

What does buddy mean?

Buddy is most commonly used as an informal word for a friend.Buddy is often used as a form of address (as in Hey, buddy, I haven’t seen you in a while!) or a term of endearment (an affectionate way of referring to someone). It is sometimes shortened to bud. Buddy is primarily used in the United States.Example: We don’t get together as much as we used to, but whenever I hang out with my buddies from college it’s still like old times.