dude

1 of 2

noun

ˈdüd How to pronounce dude (audio)
 also  ˈdyüd
1
: a man extremely fastidious in dress and manner : dandy
2
: a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range (see range entry 1 sense 3b)
especially : an Easterner in the West
3
informal : fellow, guy
The other girls in the program never go out, so I always find myself out with dudes from my program.Cosmopolitan
sometimes used as a term of address
Hey, dude, what's up?
dudish adjective
dudishly adverb

dude

2 of 2

verb

duded; duding

transitive verb

: dress up
usually used with up
got duded up for the dance

Examples of dude in a Sentence

Noun a dude given to sporting expensive suits and flashy jewelry OK, dude, whatever you say.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Certain dudes got brought to those teams that would put up with certain stuff. The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 There are far more women on the waves than there were fifteen years ago, some of whom might have been inspired by a wider range of surf content that has made the activity seem more inclusive and accessible than the old procession of bleach-blond dudes in Bali. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 No more can Po while away his days punching dudes and eating dumplings. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 That was a look-alike dude known on social media only as Z, or @zbo.nohomes on TikTok and zbo4lean on Instagram. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 Good dude, works hard obviously, He’s been moving up the ranks for a reason. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 Our Ohio River sources speak highly of Livingston as a teacher, game-planner, and all-around dude. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2024 The dudes made the most of their big awards show outing. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 These dudes don’t even play music professionally anymore. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
Better, locals say, to come back in the summer, when it’s all duded up, the Quonset-hut mural and facade glinting in the sun, the cafe’s patio brimming with diners peering down to the rushing water below, people throwing Frisbees on the lawn next door before buying tickets to the matinee. Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 While many family all-inclusives are beach resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, some New England lakeside retreats, dude ranches in the mountains, teen-friendly wellness destinations and ski resorts also offer fantastic pay-one-price options. Karen Cicero, Good Housekeeping, 1 Feb. 2023 This summer, the Traveler out of office calendar has been busy, with editors setting off on vacations near and far: to dude ranches in Wyoming, camp sites in Maine, and hotels in Iceland. Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2022 Hey, who’s that wobbly dude in the El Diablo costume chasing riders on the approach to Alpe d’Huez? The Editors, Outside Online, 1 Nov. 2022 Seriously, that dude clearly felt awkward and couldn't wait to get out of there. Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Somebody will say a line, and the other guy’s like, ‘That sucks, dude. Tom Roland, Billboard, 19 July 2022 In the front, caustic teen and skeezy dude four times her age likewise find empathetic common ground. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 June 2022 Yeah dude, that sounds like a really good solution. Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dude.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

noun derivative of dude entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dude was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near dude

Cite this Entry

“Dude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dude. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dude

noun
ˈd(y)üd
1
: a man who pays excessive attention to his dress : dandy
2
: an Easterner in the West
3
dudish
ˈd(y)üd-ish
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on dude

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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