Meaning of Dude | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A man, generally a younger man.
   Canada, US, colloquial
2. A term of address for someone, typically a man, particularly when cautioning them or offering advice.
   colloquial
3. A tourist.
   slang
4. A man who is very concerned about his dress and appearance; a dandy, a fop.
   archaic

Equivalents

Examples

“So we were at the mall and these two dudes just walk up to us and say "hi".”

“A very pretty little dudine of Fifth Avenue is much admired by the dudes in her neighborhood, and it has been observed on several occasions that she appeared to be able to discriminate between them, and not only shows a preference for one dude over another; but is able to recognize the dudes she likes after an interval of separation. It is said, also, that in accepting the attentions of her dude wooers, she shows a peculiar mimicry of the coquettish manners of human girls.”

“At first sight it may seem odd that the character-reader should in any case declare himself incapable of distinguishing sex in writing. […] The most prevalent reason for this probably lies in the so-called "emancipation of women," who, on aping the masculine pursuits and propensities, really acquire the virile tone of character. In a similar way the "dude" of the day becomes androgynous; and the result in one case is a masculine soul in a woman's shape, and in the other a feminine soul in the degraded form of the so-called "dude".”

“At first Europeans didn't realize what chocolate could be—poor guys! [Christopher] Columbus saw cacao beans in 1503, but he didn't have a clue. (No surprise—dude thought he was in India!)”

“Though the term "dude" originated as a term to describe a certain type of male, and then later to refer to men in general, today it is often used to refer to both genders, at least in certain parts of the United States. Dudeism doesn't recognize "dude" as a gender-specific word. We consider both women and men who exhibit dude-like qualities to be "dudes," and assert that the word "dude" can mean many different things depending on the context.”

“Dude, I'd be careful around the principal; he's having a bad day.”

“Watch it, dude; you almost knocked me over.”

“The session concluded as Josh, disgusted and surprised, yelled, "Dude, you hit like a girl!" The boys in auto shop drew on images of both femininity—"you hit like a girl"—and bisexuality—"I'll show you a switch hitter." (A bisexual man was often referred to as a "switch hitter" or as someone who "played for both teams.")”

“Dudes are at least as entertaining as cows, even when they don't mean to be. A cow can’t voice that honestly curious question that turns a poor cowboy into a laughing fool the way a dude can. Probably nothing in the world can move a cowboy more than a newborn calf's clean, good looks and actions, unless it’s the look of awe on a little dude’s face the first time it sees a cowboy on a horse.”

“The "dudes" are the automobile and bus tourists, mere passers-through: thousands a summer day, millions a season. […] "Dude" expresses perfectly the image that seasonals from the stagecoach driver to the gas-pump jockey have had of tourists: soft, wealthy, uninitiated, ignorant, lowland and (preferably) eastern. […] For the average dude – if such a construct may be admitted – the park is an unusual commodity, financed by his taxes, from which he is therefore entitled to extract as much use and pleasure as he can from the rangers and seasonals who stand in his way.”

“"Dude" was originally a name for ranch vacationers with no disrespect attached, but it later became derisively associated with clueless easterners who knew nothing of Western ways, as portrayed by Bob Hope in Son of Paleface (1952). Junior's fiancé^([sic – meaning fiancée]) (Jane Russell) tells him to "go out West." When Junior (Bob Hope) wants to show that he has become a Westerner, he wears a tall outsized white hat like Tom Mix and white wooly chaps, the traditional movie outfit representing an eastern dude. A female dude was known as a "dudess" or "dudine."”

“When the dude dons gloves couleur de chien jaune éclairé de la lune—”

[the colour of a yellow dog lighted by the moon]

“There are three kinds of dudes in New York. There is the inanimate rich dude who don't want to do a thing on earth but exhibit himself. Then there is the poor dude, who dresses like the rich dude, and who wants to marry a rich girl […]”

“He is the dandy or dude: the wealthy waster who makes a weak villain for so many American novels. Paul Tarrant seemed to have nothing whatever to do but change his clothes, which he did about six times a day;”

CEFR level