buddy
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb phrase
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buddy up to to become friendly with or curry the favor of.
He was buddying up to the political bosses.
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buddy up
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to become friendly; be on friendly or intimate terms.
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to work closely together.
to buddy up with a student from another high school.
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noun
noun
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Also called (as a term of address): bud. an informal word for friend
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a volunteer who visits and gives help and support to a person suffering from AIDS
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a volunteer who gives help and support to a person who has become disabled but is returning to work
verb
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of buddy
1840–50, perhaps reduced form of brother
Explanation
A buddy is a good friend. Your best buddy in elementary school may still be a good buddy when you graduate from high school. If you love to hang out with a certain friend, she's your buddy. You could also call her your pal or your chum. Sometimes when kids are new in school, a teacher will ask another student to be their buddy — to help them feel comfortable and welcome. The word first appeared in the mid-19th century in the US, either as slang for brother or from the British butty, or "companion."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What begins in isolation turns into something closer to a buddy movie, as Grace ends up working with an alien he names Rocky, another traveler trying to solve the same problem.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
They don’t recognize each other because, while Kenna and Scotty were dating, Scotty’s buddy since boyhood Ledger was off playing for the Denver Broncos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
It is not clear if Epstein's "buddy" referred to here is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Does it sound like the premise of a buddy flick?
From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026
"Whoa, fellas," he calls out, lifting his hands to show he's their unarmed, honest-to-god buddy.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
