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🧑‍🤝‍🧑 A friend 🤗 Friendly and warm
matey

matey

8.2
Friendly in a way that feels like you are close friends
  • adjective
  • /ˈmeɪti/
  • UK
translation icon : amigable
  • "The matey, helpful manner was gone.

Examples

  • Far too matey for a policeman, don't you think?

    The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

  • Those two are getting pretty matey, aren't they?

    Too Late the Hero (1970)

  • You seemed matey enough together.

    The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

  • That they are matey... that they are...

    Blog text (21)

  • I mean, it seems matey, like I do feel like I'm just pulling out the meat right now.

  • You looked pretty matey to me when you were spouting Greek at each other.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • It just surprises me that Husni and Taleb are being so matey together.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • If it doesn't, then I don't care that Real Steve does not want to be matey with journalists; sorry, but I find that easy to understand.

    Blog text (3)

  • The colleagues greeted each other with a matey smile after a long week at work.

  • His matey attitude made everyone feel comfortable during the meeting.

Synonyms

chummy
vsmatey
  • Informal
23 5.2

Friendly in a relaxed way like a close friend

focuses more on group camaraderie rather than one to one closeness
buddy-buddy
vsmatey
  • Informal
5 8.0

Acting overly friendly in a way that seems fake or inappropriate

avoids implying suspicious motives and keeps closeness appropriate
palsy-walsy
vsmatey
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Acting too friendly in a way that seems fake

shows genuine warmth rather than a fake or affected manner
pally
vsmatey
  • UK
8.2

Too friendly in a way that makes you seem like a close friend

keeps casual camaraderie without showing exaggerated or clingy intimacy

Antonyms

hostile
194 4.6

Showing strong dislike or opposition

How Friendly

warm
280 1.0
matey
  • UK
8.2
friendly
773 1.0
amicable
20 5.5

Surface Forms

matey positive

Morphology

matey = mate (transparent) = mate + y

Formed by adding the informal/diminutive suffix '-y' to 'mate', so the meaning 'friendly' is directly derived from 'mate'.

Etymology

Matey comes from the simple English word mate meaning 'friend' plus the friendly ending -y, so it means 'friendly' or 'acting like a friend'. Sailors used this form a lot, so it often sounds like pirate talk and helps you remember its warm, joking tone.