Showing results for "hombre"

• a variation of omber.

hombre

¹ American  

[om-ber] / ˈɒm bər /

noun

Cards.

1. omber.

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hombre ² American  

[om-bray, -bree] / ˈɒm breɪ, -bri /

noun

1. a man; fellow; guy.

   That sheriff is a mean hombre.

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hombre ¹ British  

/ ˈɒmbreɪ /

noun

1. a slang word for man

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hombre ² British  

/ ˈhɒmbə /

noun

1. a variant of ombre

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Etymology

Origin of hombre

First recorded in 1830–40; from Spanish, by dissimilation and intrusion of b, from unattested Vulgar Latin omne, for Latin hominem, accusative of homō “man”; see Homo

Explanation

Hombre is an informal way to say "man" or "guy." If your hockey team can't score a single goal thanks to the other team's fearless goalkeeper, you might say, "That goalie is one tough hombre!" In Spanish, hombre means "man." During the 17th century it became a North American slang term for a man of Mexican descent. Later, the word was used more broadly to mean "fellow" or "guy," becoming especially popular during the heyday of Hollywood westerns (one of which was actually titled Hombre). The word takes on an offensive connotation when it's used in a "mock Spanish" context, or to denigrate someone who's Hispanic or Latino.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hombre

He even wrote back to the crook: “I told the guy, ‘You just messed with the wrong hombre.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Then came bad hombre after bad hombre from the UK: Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Coldplay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

He's a very dangerous hombre with big, big power and he can close the distance quickly.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2021

“When I was inside the White House, I took the files and put them in my office and said, ‘Whoever wants this guy, this guy is a pretty valuable hombre.’

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 13, 2020

“Get hold of yourself, hombre, tell me what has happened!”

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya