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Meaning & use

barflies

noun·Advancedinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈbɑːflaɪz/
US/ˈbɑːrflaɪz/

“barflies” is a form of “barfly”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meaning

  1. nounpluralinformaldisapproving

    people who spend a lot of time in bars, often drinking

    Grammar: Plural of 'barfly'. Use it for more than one person; for one person, say 'a barfly'.

    Patterns

    • a barfly
    • the barflies at the local pub

    The barflies at the corner pub knew each other by name.

    He spent his evenings with the same group of barflies.

    She joked that the barflies had their own reserved stools.

Word forms

singularbarfly

Common combinations

regular barfly
He was a regular barfly at the pub down the street.
local barflies
The local barflies gathered every Friday night.
a bunch of barflies
A bunch of barflies were still there at closing time.

Synonyms and how they differ

drinker
Drinker is a neutral word for someone who drinks alcohol; barfly is informal and suggests someone who spends too much time in bars.
regular
A regular is someone who often goes to a particular bar; barfly is more disapproving and focuses on the person's habit.

Word family

barfly noun
Singular form: a person who spends much time in bars.

Commonly confused: barflies or barfly?

barflies vs barfly

Barfly is the singular; barflies is the plural. Don't use 'barflies' for one person.

Practice

After work, the ______ filled the pub and stayed until midnight.

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