Etymology Coined by semantic widening from the name of Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an English Catholic executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, which also came to refer to effigies of his image burned annually on Guy Fawkes Night. The name Guy is from Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from Proto-Germanic *widuz. Cognate with Italian Guido. Doublet of guido.
Ireland, UK An effigy of a man burned on a bonfire on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot (5th November).
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Dated A person of eccentric appearance or dress; a "fright".
“But shan’t I look a guy?” “Not a bit of it. Jist the very kick!”1845, Henry Cockton, The Love Match, Clark: W.M, page 77:
I am always a perfect guy, whatever I wear, when I sit against a red curtain. You men say that a woman always knows when she’s good-looking, but I am happy to say I know when I look a guy.1865, Margaret Oliphant, “Miss Marjoribanks”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume 97, page 316:
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And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy, And who “doesn’t think she dances, but would rather like to try” […].1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, composer, “s:The_Mikado/Act_I”, in […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], →OCLC:
Why are you so ashamed that her child saw you looking a guy, sprawled on the floor, spilling cakes?1978, Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks, Abacus, published 2014, page 138:
“You don't say so? I thought he was some guy from Pennsylvania.”1873, ‘Mark Twain’, The Gilded Age:
"Hi, guys. Did you have a fun time at school?" said Katherine. "Yeah we did," said Stacy.2007, Manook Sarkisyan, Jack and the Journey through Time, page 219:
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She was one of the guys, but they were also very much aware that she was an attractive young woman.2014, Joel Williamson, Elvis Presley: A Southern Life:
Let’s be honest. “Have I kissed too many guys?” is not a question that mature, sexually active women are likely to be asking Google.2016 March 9, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, The Guardian:
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Especially, In plural A person (see usage notes).
Sometimes controversial
You know, I don't believe any girl ever had any better friends than you two guys1932, Sidney Howard, The Greeks Had a Word for Them, spoken by Jean (Ina Claire), (addressing two women):
My “Guys” actually constitute a collection of people that range from my nearest and dearest girlfriends, my immediate and extended family, co-workers and acquaintances that care.2009, Carole McCaskill, WHAT COLOR IS MY RIBBON? : An Ovarian Cancer Success Story:
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My “guys,” as I call the group, are loving and hilarious, serious and the epitome of love. They are both male and female in their presence and have never had the experience of inhabiting a physical body—they are beings of light.2010, Meg Blackburn Losey, The Secret History of Consciousness: Ancient Keys to our Future Survival:
I recently rewatched the original Star Wars trilogy. I'm not a Star Wars guy, but I did enjoy them a lot more than I did the first time. / The movie seemed more like just Ellie's personal journey into being, like, "Wow, religion can be cool, I guess", which is fine, but I'm more of a sci-fi guy, so I would rather read the book.2025 September 5, Angela Collier, “CONTACT (backyard radio telescope part II)”https://youtu.be/0j4_-7rwWjE, YouTube
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Colloquial Anything seen to have character and personality, such as an animal or a toy.
The dog's left foreleg was broken, poor little guy.
I just want to play with my guys. My guys are my friends, they're stuffed animals or little action figures I have a lot of them.2011, Richard S. Stripp Sr., Mommy, I Wish I Could Tell You What They Did To Me In School Today:
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Informal, Term of address dude, Buster, Mack, fella, bud, man.
Hey, guy, give a man a break, would ya?
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Colloquial Thing, item (term that can be used to refer to any entity)
This guy, here, controls the current, and this guy, here, measures the voltage.
This guy is the partial derivative of that guy with respect to x.
Etymology Coined by semantic widening from the name of Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), an English Catholic executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, which also came to refer to effigies of his image burned annually on Guy Fawkes Night. The name Guy is from Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from Proto-Germanic *widuz. Cognate with Italian Guido. Doublet of guido.
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To exhibit an effigy of Guy Fawkes around the 5th November.
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To make fun of, to ridicule with wit or innuendo.
The dusky hunters "guyed" the palefaces who could not do as well as they with their primitive weapons, even though the fire spouted from the iron tubes and the balls that could not be seen by the eye carried death farther than did the missiles launched by the natives.1905, Edward S. Ellis, Deerfoot in The Mountains:
Swift and other satirists mercilessly guyed the unlettered self-importance of the peddlars of such soul-food, exposing their humility and self-laceration as an egregious and obnoxious form of self-advertisement (s'excuser, c'est s'accuser).2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason, Penguin, published 2004, page 278:
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Terry Kilmartin […], applauded for every ‘um’ and ‘ah’, knew that he was being guyed and had the charm to make it funny.2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho, Picador, published 2007, page 187:
In between it all, he [Elon Musk] was reply guying to other people’s commentary and memes, and at times tweeting himself, about OpenAI and [Sam] Altman.2025, Karen Hao, Empire of AI, New York City: Penguin Press, →ISBN:
To guy the speech in the manner of an old-fashioned 'ham' for cheap laughs....2000, John Southworth, Shakespeare the Player:
guy
verb
Etymology From Old French guie, linked to verb guier (“guide”), from Frankish *wītan, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wītaną (“know”). Cognate with English guide.
Etymology From Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from Proto-Germanic *widuz; see for example modern German Witold and Old Saxon Widukind. Cognate with Italian Guido and thus a doublet of Guido. More at wood.
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UK An effigy of Guy Fawkes burned on Bonfire Night
Etymology From Old French guie, linked to verb guier (“guide”), from Frankish *wītan, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wītaną (“know”). Cognate with English guide.
Nautical, Transport A support rope or cable used to aid in hoisting or lowering.
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Nautical, Transport A support to secure or steady structures prone to shift their position or be carried away (e.g. the mast of a ship, a suspension bridge, or a utility pole).