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

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

And then there’s that chance, or maybe not-so-chance, encounter with an old acting-class pal (Billy Crudup) that leads to a hornet’s nest of resentment and recriminations being stirred up. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025

Jenner shared some additional candids and posed pictures of herself with her famous pals, including the night's hosts, Mark Zuckerberg, Alicia Keys, Chris Rock, Tyler Perry, Ciara, Vanessa Bryant and more. —Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025

And his billionaire pals have plenty of it. —Chris Brennan, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

When Bournemouth hired Iraola the following summer, Perez was invited to replace him but chose instead to accompany his pal to the Premier League. —Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 9 Nov. 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