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

I’m a blacktop guy who ended up getting so much good fortune in life.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

“What they ultimately respect is, ‘How good is this guy or girl at getting me better?’”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

McKechnie is, Jackson enthused, "a guy that can keep players on the floor".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“These guys won’t leave you alone, bro,” he said before playing that famous video of the guy freaking out over the double rainbow.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

“Didn’t you notice,” she began in an oddly strangled voice, “how, when those men were fighting, the cute janitor guy yelled out, ‘Jonah!

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• dude
• fellow
• lad
• man