homie
Americannoun
-
homies
plural
noun
Usage
What does homie mean? Homie is a slang term for a close friend. It can be used to refer to a friend, as in This is my homie Russel, or as a term of address for one, as in Hey, homie! Homie is sometimes spelled homey. It’s a shortened version of homeboy or homegirl, which are gender-specific but mean the same thing. These terms are all associated with urban and hip hop culture and are primarily used by members of African American and Latinx communities in the U. S. They commonly refer to a close friend who’s from the same neighborhood. In some cases, the words are used to refer to a fellow gang member. However, the terms have entered mainstream use and usually simply refer to a close friend. Homie is frequently used with a possessive pronoun, as in my homie. Example: I’m having a night out with just me and my homies.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of homie
First recorded in 1940–45; by shortening and alteration
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.
See Examples For:
The homie has his iron, his belt, his shoes and socks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2023
"Did you see?" my little homie, who is more like my nephew Ben said, "You hear about it?"
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023
Other main draws in boxing, like Bud’s homie, Shakur Stevenson, have noticed Bud’s annoyance with boxing’s idiosyncrasies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2023
They include on one arm drawings of Shorty and the other homie he lost shortly before he began his reinvention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2023
I studied you and your teachings for a project in tenth grade, so it feels most natural to interact with you as a homie.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
“One of my homies said, ‘Hey fool, what are you doing here?’” he recalled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
“It’s dedicated to the homies that passed away. It’s dedicated to everyone who’s part of this or however you want to put it. For me, it’s dedicated to this city.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2024
UAW counsel Benjamin Dictor on Sunday morning posted on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter: "All my homies hate companies that won't agree to fair contracts for their workers."
From Reuters ● Oct. 29, 2023
The next time Boyle saw Fernandez at Homeboy he was not encouraged, because Fernandez arrived “deep,” street slang for surrounding himself with other homies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2023
He drops knowledge just as he's slapping down a set of cards or a domino onto a table, and his homies can’t do anything but bow down to his greatness and keep their mouths shut.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
