pal

pal — noun

1. someone you know well and like spending time with, especially in a relaxed and c

1.nounB1
Definition

someone you know well and like spending time with, especially in a relaxed and casual way.

Example

Marcus invited a few old pals over to watch the football match.

collocation: old pal

Lina has been my best pal since we shared a desk in primary school.

collocation: best pal

Common collocations
  • old pal
  • best pal
  • close pal
  • drinking pal
  • pen pal
Synonyms
  • friend

    neutral register; works in any context

  • buddy

    informal, mostly American; similar warmth

  • mate

    informal, mainly British and Australian

  • chum

    old-fashioned and slightly playful

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pal of [someone]

[possessive] pal

Usage Note

Informal register — common in spoken English and casual writing, less suitable for formal essays or business emails. Often modified by 'old', 'best', 'good', or 'close'.

Common Mistakes

I would like to introduce my pal Mr. Tanaka in this report.
I would like to introduce my colleague Mr. Tanaka in this report.
'pal' is too casual for formal writing; use 'friend', 'colleague', or 'associate' instead.

2. a word used when calling out to an unknown man — occasionally with warmth, thoug

2.nounB2
Definition

a word used when calling out to an unknown man — occasionally with warmth, though more often with irritation when he is doing something that bothers you.

Example

Back off, pal — that parking space belongs to my mother.

hostile vocative followed by a warning

Hey pal, you dropped your wallet by the bench.

friendly vocative to a stranger

Common collocations
  • listen, pal
  • hey pal
  • back off, pal
  • watch it, pal
Synonyms
  • buddy

    American equivalent, same range from friendly to hostile

  • mate

    British/Australian; usually friendlier than 'pal'

  • mister

    more neutral, often used by children to a stranger

Grammar Patterns

used vocatively: '..., pal.'

Usage Note

Used vocatively (calling out to someone), almost always to a male stranger. Tone depends entirely on context: a soft 'hey pal' can be warm, while 'listen, pal' before a complaint is confrontational. Distinguish from sense 1, which names a friend rather than addresses a stranger.

Common Mistakes

Hello, pal Mr. Wilson, please sit down.
Hello, Mr. Wilson, please sit down.
this 'pal' replaces a name; you do not stack it with one.
Excuse me, pal,' she said to the elderly woman.
Excuse me, ma'am,' she said to the elderly woman.
this sense is used to men only.

pal — verb

Word family

  • pally
    adjectiveC1
  • pen pal
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words name someone you like and trust, but they differ in register and region. 'Friend' is the neutral, all-purpose choice — safe in essays, emails, and conversation alike. 'Pal' and 'buddy' are warmer and more casual; 'pal' carries a slightly old-fashioned, affectionate ring (think 'old pals from school'), while 'buddy' is everyday American English and often used for short-term partners ('gym buddy', 'study buddy'). 'Mate' is the British and Australian equivalent of 'buddy' and also serves as a casual greeting to strangers. 'Chum' sounds dated and a little playful, mostly heard in older novels or ironic speech today. So you might write 'a close friend' in a school essay, but tell your roommate, 'I'm grabbing dinner with a pal.'

pal ↗friend ↗buddy ↗mate ↗chum

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pen pal
  • drinking pal
  • school pal

Phrases

  • old pal
  • best pal
  • close pal
  • listen, pal
  • hey pal

Prepositions

  • pal of
  • pal from
  • pal around with
  • pal up with

Etymology

SanskritRomaniEnglish

First recorded in late 1600s English as slang borrowed from Romani 'phal' or 'phral', meaning 'brother' or 'mate'. The Romani word itself goes back to Sanskrit 'bhrātr̥', a cousin of English 'brother'. It entered British underworld and traveller speech before spreading into general informal use by the 1800s. The verb sense 'to associate as friends' developed in American English in the late 1800s.