pal

1 of 2

noun

ˈpal 

: a close friend

palship

ˈpal-ˌship 

noun

pal

2 of 2

verb

palled; palling

intransitive verb

: to be or become pals : associate as pals

they've palled around for years

Synonyms

Noun

• alter ego
• amigo
• buddy
• chum
• compadre
• comrade
• confidant
• confidante
• crony
• familiar
• friend
• intimate
• mate [chiefly British]
• musketeer

Verb

• associate
• chum
• company
• consociate
• consort
• fraternize
• hang (around or out)
• hobnob
• hook up
• mess around
• run
• sort
• travel

Examples of pal in a Sentence

Noun

We've been pals since we were kids.

Come on—be a pal and lend me the money.

Verb

they began to pal around after discovering that they both had kids on the same soccer team

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hailey’s night out with pals Kendall and Kylie comes as she was also snapped on an ice skating date with her husband Justin Bieber while in Aspen on Saturday. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025

And if Lasher’s new pal looked familiar to you, that’s probably because actor Gabriel Freilich played the same character in the second season finale of Interview With the Vampire back in June 2024. —Andy Swift, TVLine, 19 Jan. 2025

His son, Donald Trump Jr., even showed up in Greenland with some political activist pals in tow. —Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2025

Several of her celebrity pals showed off her strawberry jam on Instagram. —Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Romani phral, phal brother, friend, from Sanskrit bhrātṛ brother; akin to Old English brōthor brother

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pal

• gal pal
• pal around with
• pal up
• pen pal

Kids Definition

pal

1 of 2 noun

ˈpal 

: a close friend

pal

2 of 2 verb

palled; palling

: to be or become pals

Legal Definition

PAL

abbreviation

passive activity loss