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 of pal

Noun

• friend
• buddy
• chum

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

Chef/restaurateur Zov Karamardian and I have been pals for decades. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026

Sesame Street – Hang out with Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar and more beloved puppet pals. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026

Peach heads for the Galaxy Gateway with Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), while Mario, Luigi and their new dino pal Yoshi (Donald Glover) hold things down with the ‘shrooms … for a while anyway. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026

With the help of his pal and co-writer, Sokolov’s real-life experience in the peculiar apartment building blossomed into They Will Kill You, which premiered at SXSW 2026 in March. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026

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