Meaning & use
bonus brother
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Meaning
nouncountableinformal
A boy or man who becomes like a brother to you because one of your parents marries or lives with his parent, especially when you feel close to him.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a bonus brother' for one, 'bonus brothers' for more than one.
Patterns
- my bonus brother
- a bonus brother
When my mom remarried, I gained a bonus brother who is now one of my best friends.
He calls his stepbrother his bonus brother because they get along so well.
My bonus brother and I share a room on family holidays.
Word forms
| plural | bonus brothers |
|---|
Common combinations
- my bonus brother
- My bonus brother taught me how to ride a bike.
- gain a bonus brother
- She gained a bonus brother when her dad got remarried.
- call someone a bonus brother
- He calls him a bonus brother, not a stepbrother.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stepbrother
- This is the neutral, factual word for a brother by a parent's new marriage; 'bonus brother' is warmer and suggests you like the relationship.
- half-brother
- A half-brother shares one biological parent with you, which is a different family situation from a bonus brother.
Word family
- bonus sister noun
- The female equivalent: a girl or woman who becomes like a sister through a parent's new relationship.
- bonus family noun
- The whole group of new relatives you gain through a parent's remarriage.
Commonly confused: bonus brother or stepbrother?
bonus brother vs stepbrother
Stepbrother is the standard word for the family relationship; bonus brother is an informal, affectionate alternative that stresses the positive side.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'bonus brother' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
A bonus brother is a boy or man who becomes like a brother through a parent's new relationship, so sentence B fits. An is wrong because that person is a stepfather, not a brother; C confuses 'bonus' as a reward; D describes a birthday coincidence, not a family relationship.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bonus brother”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.