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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In high school, Magaro got tight with a dude who turned him on to more challenging stuff, lots of Stanley Kubrick. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024 Back in the present day, Kraven has a list of evil dudes to kill, Chorney having been one of them. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 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 See all Example Sentences for dude 

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 21 Dec. 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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