bro
Pluralbros
- 1A male friend or comrade, often used as a friendly form of address to a man.
Similar to 'dude' or 'man' as a casual way to address someone.
Appreciate it, bro. I owe you one.
What's up, bro? Long time no see.
UsageMostly to address a man, at the start or end of a sentence with a comma: Thanks, bro. Bro, you good?
Similardude, buddy, man, mate, pal
Note
Pure address, doing the work that man or good sir does elsewhere. Newer slang also lets it stand alone as a subject, with no article, in Bro said he finna go off today. There it points at someone rather than calling to him.
- 2A male sibling, referred to in casual speech.
My bro and I grew up sharing a bedroom.
She drove her bro to soccer practice every weekend.
UsageOften used with possessives or age words: my bro, little bro. In formal writing, brother is usually more suitable.
Oppositesis
Note
A clipping of brother, and the kinship meaning the friendlier senses build on. It is said as it is spelled, with the vowel of go rather than the vowel of brother. Here it means only a male sibling, named in casual speech, as in my little bro, with no hint of friendship or fraternity culture.
- 3A fraternity member, or a young man who embraces the boisterous, hyper-masculine fraternity culture.
Like the stock character of the backwards-cap, beer-pong college guy.
He dressed and talked like a classic bro the moment he pledged.
The bar near campus was packed with bros in backward caps, chanting and slamming down shots.
Note
The word here names a social type rather than a relationship. A fraternity bro need not be anyone's bro in particular. It overlaps with frat boy and anchors the phrase bro culture, which covers the whole style the type stands for. As slang that sorts people into a category, it belongs to conversation and commentary rather than neutral description.
- 4A person, usually male, who aggressively promotes a particular person, idea, or technology.
Like a zealot who treats a gadget or trend as a cause to convert you to.
The comment section filled up with bros insisting the new framework would change everything.
Don't get stuck next to the AI bro at dinner. He'll lecture you all night.
UsagePut the name of what the person promotes before bro: crypto bro, AI bro.
Similarevangelist, booster, fanboy, shill, zealot
Note
Because the word is derogatory, tagging someone a crypto or AI bro dismisses his enthusiasm as overbearing. It usually turns up in compounds that name the object of the zeal, and the person is usually, though not always, a man. The label mocks someone who aggressively promotes a person, an idea or a technology, not an ordinary fan.
More uses
- bro.a short written form of Brother, as a religious title
Practice
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Origin
A clipping of brother, said as it is spelled, with the vowel of go rather than that of brother. Brother goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr; compare Danish, Norwegian Bokmål and Swedish bror.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 8 facts
- Bro is a clipping of brother with a spelling pronunciation. en.wiktionary.org
- Bro has the vowel of go. en.wiktionary.org
- Go has the corresponding /əʊ/ vowel in Received Pronunciation. en.wiktionary.org
- Brother has a different stressed vowel from bro. en.wiktionary.org
- Brother descends from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr. en.wiktionary.org
- Danish bror is a related word for brother. en.wiktionary.org
- Norwegian Bokmål bror is a related word for brother. en.wiktionary.org
- Swedish bror is a related contracted form meaning brother. en.wiktionary.org