pal

1 of 2

noun

ˈpal 

: a close friend

palship

ˈpal-ˌship 

noun

pal

2 of 2

verb

palled; palling

intransitive verb

: to be or become pals : associate as pals

they've palled around for years

Synonyms

Noun

• friend
• buddy

Verb

• travel
• associate
• bond
• run
• hang (around or out)
• mix
• connect
• take up with
• rub shoulders (with)
• hook up
• mingle
• join
• company
• collaborate
• relate
• fall in with

Examples of pal in a Sentence

Noun

We've been pals since we were kids.

Come on—be a pal and lend me the money.

Verb

they began to pal around after discovering that they both had kids on the same soccer team

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Jessica Biel dressed as her husband, Justin Timberlake, while her pals appeared as the other members of *NSYNC for Halloween 2019. —Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Meester appears on a season 2 episode as Abby, a childhood pal whom Joanne still resents for cutting the hair of her American Girl Doll. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025

After Fox aired the final episodes of the series in 2009, Hulu announced the revival with Hank and pals Bill, Dale and Boomhauer in January 2023. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

Bella Thorne celebrated her 28th birthday with a head-turning look alongside her pals. —Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Romani phral, phal brother, friend, from Sanskrit bhrātṛ brother; akin to Old English brōthor brother

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pal

• gal pal
• pal around with
• pal up
• pen pal

Rhymes for pal

• bal
• dal
• gal
• mal
• sal
• shall
• canal
• chorale
• corral
• ghazal
• locale
• morale

Kids Definition

pal

1 of 2 noun

ˈpal 

: a close friend

pal

2 of 2 verb

palled; palling

: to be or become pals

Legal Definition

PAL

abbreviation

passive activity loss