bloke

Bloke is British and Australian slang for a man, any ordinary guy. It’s neutral and friendly, the everyday equivalent of the American “guy” or “dude.”

What bloke means

Merriam-Webster defines it as a man or fellow, and Collins calls it an informal word for man. It isn’t an insult or a compliment on its own; the words around it do that work. A “nice bloke” is a good guy, a “dodgy bloke” is someone you shouldn’t trust, and “some bloke at the pub” is a stranger you’re about to tell a story about.

“Blokey” describes something stereotypically masculine, like a blokey night of football and beer, and the fashion world has “blokecore,” an aesthetic built on football shirts and casual menswear.

Examples

• “Her new boyfriend seems like a decent bloke.”
• “Some bloke on the train was eating a whole roast chicken.”
• “He’s just a normal bloke who got lucky.”

Where it came from

Nobody knows. Merriam-Webster says origin unknown and gives a first known use of around 1829; Dictionary.com says origin uncertain and dates it to the 1850s. Plenty of theories have been suggested over the years, but none has been proven.

Bloke vs. lad vs. geezer

“Lad” suggests a younger man, or a group of mates out together. “Geezer” has a London, slightly roguish flavor. “Bloke” is the most neutral of the three and works for almost any adult man.

Related terms

• Bruv: brother, mate.
• Mandem: a group of male friends, in UK youth slang.
• Dodgy: suspicious, as in “a dodgy bloke.”
• Bants: banter, often among blokes.
• Mate: friend.

See more terms like this in our British slang guide.