hombre

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalAmerican

   A man, used casually and often with a hint of Western-film swagger.

   Grammar: Spanish loan used informally: that hombre over there.

   Patterns

   • an hombre who does something

   That hombre at the bar has been telling stories all night.

   The old hombre rode into town on a gray mule.

   He walked in like a tough hombre from an old movie.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A way of addressing a man in a friendly, casual way, borrowed from Spanish.

   Grammar: Used as a direct address, often among friends.

   Patterns

   • hey, hombre

   Hey, hombre, how's it going?

   Thanks, hombre, I owe you one.

   Take it easy, hombre.

Word forms

Common combinations

tough hombre

The sheriff was a tough hombre who never backed down.

mysterious hombre

A mysterious hombre stood in the doorway.

mean hombre

In the movie he played a mean hombre.

Hey, hombre

Hey, hombre, give me a hand with this box.

bad hombre

The film's poster showed a bad hombre in a wide hat.

Synonyms and how they differ

guy

Guy is the everyday American word for a man, whereas hombre adds a humorous Western flavor.

fellow

Fellow is a little old-fashioned and British-leaning, and it lacks hombre's swagger.

dude

Dude is casual slang for a man and fits young speakers, while hombre sounds playful and theatrical.

chap

Chap is a British word for a man and sounds polite, which is the opposite of hombre's tough feel.

Opposites

Word family

hombres noun

the plural

hombria noun

Spanish for manliness, rarely used in English

Commonly confused: hombre or ombre?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hombre”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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