dude

noun (a dude, dudes) (informal, slang, mainly US; also Canada, Australia, NZ); interjection (dude!)

«dude» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

Everyday

(slang) A man or boy; a guy: «He's a cool dude.» tree →
(slang) A friendly way to speak to someone, especially a friend: «Hey, dude!» tree →
(slang, interjection) Used to show surprise, excitement, or annoyance: «Dude! That was amazing!» tree →
(old, US) A city person who goes on holiday to a ranch: «dude ranch»; or a man who cares a lot about fancy clothes. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday American and Canadian talk «dude» is very common between friends; now used for any gender by some people. In stories it shows a relaxed, casual character. Phrases: «hey dude», «cool dude», «dude ranch», «Dude!», «sweet, dude».

Examples

(slang) Hey dude, want to play footy? tree →
That skateboarder is a cool dude. tree →
Dude! You scored from halfway! tree →
(slang) Dude, that's my seat. tree →
Some dude at the shop gave me the wrong change. tree →
(old US) They spent a week at a dude ranch in Montana. tree →

Note

Slang; fine with friends but not in formal writing or to teachers — use «man», «person» or the name. Plural «dudes». Tone matters: «Dude!» can sound happy or cross.

On Mova

Trees and pragmatics of «dude» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«dude» in the school dictionary on Mova free.

This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/dude/