Explanation

A guy is a dude, a boy, a man, or really anybody. It's an informal way to refer to a person, especially a male. But a group of people can be guys, even if they’re all female. Hey guys! Another meaning of guy comes from a guy rope, which is basically a rope that supports something like a tent to a pole. What a guy! So to guy means “to support” or “tie to” and not just physically. It’s almost like a “guide” which comes from Old French guie, and ultimately from a Germanic root. The sense attributed to a person or a fellow comes from two sources: a French proper name for a male (related to Guido in Italian) and Guy Fawkes, who famously plotted to blow up Parliament in 1605 and is still burned in effigy yearly on the British Guy Fawkes Day.

Vocabulary lists containing guy

First-Name Basis: Words That Are Also Names

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Graham's Top 50 Words, in terms of relevance

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Christie's Top 50 Most Relevant Words

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See Examples For:

And I thought, “Oh man, this guy is fantastic!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

AI is driving the U.S. economy, and Huang is the AI guy.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

Too often, my attitude was something like I’m a sensitive guy given to episodes, but I don’t need or deserve serious help.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026

Trump, who has relied on Huang as an adviser on AI, called him "an honorable guy" and said Huang told him he had no idea the woman was a spy.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

I’d somehow ensured that I’d beat the Lincoln simulation, but I’d failed to catch the guy responsible for all of this.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

The curse of the world’s richest Wife Guy: The global economy has been rattled by the news of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026

The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe reports from the scene of the crash.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

The second season of the series, which co-stars Tom Hardy and is co-directed by Guy Ritchie, premiered in September.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly spoke with MarketWatch’s Genna Contino to help her pick her first rewards credit card — and shared further tips for beginners in the points game.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

“I wager you I can make this thing fly,” Guy said.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

“Is this THE GUY who was supposed to give us the $2 million or is this his relative?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2022

GO-TO GUY: Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs, who’s tied for fourth in the league with 61 receptions, caught 13 passes in each of the past two games to set an NFL record.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 18, 2016

Kobe Bryant: Has a profile but it was definitely written by a fan: The phrase "GUY CODE" is used.

From Time ● Jul. 11, 2011

"AWESOME GUY" Born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, Kasich rose to prominence on the national political stage when he used his role as chairman of the House Budget Committee to help balance the federal budget.

From Reuters ● Aug. 12, 2010

It required no small share of talent to put words into the mouth of the charming poet, whose name is given to the last-mentioned piece; but M. GUY appears not to have thought of this.

From Paris as It Was and as It Is by Francis W. Blagdon

Certainly, political and religious leaders, the rich and powerful are mercilessly guyed, but this is surely the mot juste, because the disjunction between these effigies and the people they represent is understood by all.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2015

It's as if they think they have to imitate someone other than themselves, to summon up a pretend, all-purpose actress who can be guyed.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 15, 2013

The tubes were guyed to earth at each end and inflated; they rose in arches.

From Time Magazine Archive

The spindle and hub were attached to a steel barrel frozen into the ice and guyed solidly.

From Time Magazine Archive

I went down to the depot for my ticket, and applied For the tips regarding Morrow, not expecting to be guyed.

From The Scrap Book. Volume 1, No. 2 April 1906 by Various

Best shot—the prefects guying Woodley about his love-affair.

From Time Magazine Archive

Waters' hole card is Johnny Depp, the winsome tough from TV's 21 Jump Street, who radiates big- screen grace and swagger as Cry-Baby -- no easy trick, since he is guying his own image.

From Time Magazine Archive

The cumulative effect of its guying would not nettle even the income tax bureau, for Funnyman Cantor pokes lightly at an array of straw men.

From Time Magazine Archive

One thinks of Rowlandson as purely English, because of his devotion to the English scene and his delight in guying the manners and affectations of the French.

From Time Magazine Archive

The country people took it seriously, but the town contingent, recognizing the fake element, started in to indulge in guying the performers.

From A Pirate of Parts by Richard Neville