Meaning & use
guys
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“guys” is a form of “guy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralinformal
the plural of guy; two or more men, or people in general.
Grammar: Plural noun; the singular is guy. In informal speech it can address a group of any gender.
Patterns
- you guys
- a group of guys
- the guys at work
Two guys were waiting outside the station.
You guys should come to the party on Saturday.
nounpluralinformal
used with a possessive to mean the friends or people connected with someone, especially in informal speech.
Grammar: Usually follows a possessive: my guys, the guys.
Patterns
- my guys
- the guys
I'm meeting the guys for dinner tonight.
Her guys from college are visiting this weekend.
Common combinations
- you guys
- You guys did a great job on the project.
- the guys at work
- The guys at work organized a leaving party for her.
- a bunch of guys
- A bunch of guys were playing basketball in the park.
- one of the guys
- He's easy to talk to, just one of the guys.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- guy noun
- The singular form, meaning a man or, informally, a person.
Commonly confused: guys or guise? guys or gays?
guys vs guise
Guise means an outward appearance or false show, and it sounds the same as guys but is a different word.
guys vs gays
Gays refers to gay people, while guys is the plural of guy; they sound similar but mean different things.
Practice
Which sentence uses guys naturally in informal American English?
Choose one answer.
Guys is a plural noun used informally to address or describe a group, so 'Hey guys' fits. The other options use wrong singular or plural forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “guys”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.