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guy

guy

588 9.8
An effigy made of old clothes and paper burned on Bonfire Night
  • noun
  • /ɡaɪ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : muñeco
  • I mean, you're this educated guy, right?

Examples

  • Moreover, he loved the game and was a real rah-rah type guy who was always encouraging everyone else.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Oh, hey, who's gonna look after this guy?

  • Well, the guy is dead.

  • When we're out in the field working, some guys pass through there and call us names.

    Academic text (2002)
  • And what about the guy who told me he was a dog?

    Academic text (2010)
  • On the hillside, Juan Rostagno, thirty-ish, Costa Rican, a smart-looking guy in work clothes, is waiting for him.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • During the bonfire, we burned a guy to commemorate Guy Fawkes Day.

  • Children brought a guy made of old clothes to the festivities on Guy Fawkes Night.

  • As part of the celebration, they crafted a large guy to be placed on the bonfire.

Idioms

8.1

To say that someone feels like most other people

9.4

A joking way to say the other person was hurt more after a fight

Says as a joke to show someone else is more hurt after a fight

Compounds

that guy
  • Informal
434 7.9

A person, usually male, who behaves in an annoying or rude way

bad guy
  • Informal
415 3.0

A person who goes against others or causes harm

good guy
  • Informal
281 1.8

A person who helps others and usually does the right thing

tough guy
  • Informal
143 4.2

A man who acts strong to scare people

wise guy
  • Offensive
43 7.4

A person who makes clever or rude jokes to seem smart

fall guy
  • Informal
19 7.6

A person who others blame so they avoid punishment

average guy
  • Informal
15 1.8

A regular man with no special skills or fame

A man who is kind, helpful, and liked by others

guy rope
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A strong rope that holds a tent or pole steady by being tied to the ground

guy wire
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A strong cable that holds things like a pole or tent by attaching it to the ground

best guy friend
  • Informal
3.2

A male friend you feel closest to without any romantic interest

A relaxed, joking way some men act after a marriage ends

A British celebration on 5 November with fireworks and a bonfire where people burn a model of Guy Fawkes

An annual British event on November 5 where people light fireworks and burn effigies

guy cable
  • Specialized
6.2

A strong wire that holds a pole, tent, or tower upright

A habit where some men act too friendly and give in to get approval

reply guy
  • Offensive
9.1

A person who often comments on others' social media posts to get attention

Surface Forms

guy singular
guys plural

Etymology

Guy (the dummy burned on Bonfire Night) comes from the name Guy Fawkes, the man blamed for the Gunpowder Plot of 1605; people made a model of him and called it a 'guy'.