sir

[ sur ]

/ sɜr /

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See synonyms for sir on Thesaurus.com

noun

a respectful or formal term of address used to a man: No, sir.

(initial capital letter) the distinctive title of a knight or baronet: Sir Walter Scott.

(initial capital letter) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times: Sir Pandarus of Troy.

a lord or gentleman: noble sirs and ladies.

an ironic or humorous title of respect: sir critic.

Archaic. a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc.: sir priest; sir clerk.

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Origin of sir

1250–1300; Middle English; unstressed variant of sire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sir in a sentence

“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new,” Harry S. Connelly Jr. says in the video, according to the Times.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Personal hotspots can get speeds of up to 60 Mb/s down, whereas hotel Wi-Fi can be as slow as 1.5 Mb/s,” Sesar said.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we don’t take the time to take stock of what‘s been created so far.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The thing [North Korean government] want[s] the most is the non-release of this film,” Schiff said.
Obama Could Hit China to Punish North Korea|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Now that he was Sir Alfred, there was one final blast of publicity.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The old man seemed to be greatly agitated, and hurriedly whispering, "We thought you were never coming, sir!"
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Mr. Pickwick—deepest obligations—life preserver—made a man of me—you shall never repent it, sir.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
Sir Cadge was about the same age as the famous beauty, and rose quite two inches above her lofty head.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
I wouldn't go on if I were you, sir; the luck's dead against you to-night; I wouldn't go on, indeed I wouldn't.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Ajoutez cecy, s'il vous plaist, la grande difficult qu'il y a de tirer d'eux les mots mesmes qu'ils ont.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sir (1 of 2)

sir

/ (sɜː) /

noun

a formal or polite term of address for a man

archaic a gentleman of high social status

Word Origin for sir

C13: variant of sire

British Dictionary definitions for sir (2 of 2)

Sir

/ (sɜː) /

noun

a title of honour placed before the name of a knight or baronetSir Walter Raleigh

archaic a title placed before the name of a figure from ancient history

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sir

Origin of sir

Words related to sir

How to use sir in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sir (1 of 2)

Word Origin for sir

British Dictionary definitions for sir (2 of 2)