bro
Bro is short for “brother.” In slang it means a male friend, or any guy you’re talking to (“Thanks, bro”), and it can also describe a certain kind of guy: loud, sporty and always up for a party.
What bro means
Merriam-Webster lists the senses in order. The oldest is simply your brother: “my little bro.” In US slang it then means a male friend (“hanging out with his bros”) and a friendly way to address a man or boy (“Hey, bro, what’s up?”). The newest sense is a type: a young man in a group of similar friends, stereotyped as hearty, athletic, confident and party-loving.
On its own, a long, flat “bro…” is a reaction, the same disbelief you’d put into bruh: someone just did something unbelievable, or unbelievably dumb.
Bro spin-offs
- Tech bro: a disapproving name for a man working in tech.
- Bro-ey: acting like a stereotypical bro.
- Bromance: a close friendship between two men.
Examples
- “Thanks for the ride, bro. I owe you one.”
- “Bro, did you see that?”
- “His whole friend group is gym bros.”
Where it came from
Merriam-Webster calls bro an alteration of brother and dates its first known use to around 1530, in the plain family sense. The friend and party-guy meanings are much more recent American slang.
Related terms
More everyday slang is in our Gen Z slang guide.
Spotted a mistake, or heard bro used a different way? Tell us and we'll check it. Read how we write entries.