little son (often used as a familiar term of address to a boy).
(used as a term of direct address to express contempt, derision, etc.).
No, sonny, you can't park there!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“She’d sing it in her own way to see if it fits, and she would say, ‘How does that sound, sonny?’
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
The obvious reply for Darling would have been along the lines of: while you've been watching I've been doing it, sonny.
From The Guardian • Mar. 29, 2010
Sony was meant to appeal to Americans--a nod to "sonny boy," which was a phrase that was popular in Japan during the 1950s.
From Inc • Mar. 24, 2010
You'll have to wait until half-time for that sonny!
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2010
“But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn’t. So it’s not binding. When you’re conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath.”
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
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.
