matey

adjective

ˈmā-tē How to pronounce matey (audio)
Definition of mateynext
chiefly British
as in warm
having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest the pub keeper adopted a matey tone with me, as if he were my dearest chum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of matey The dynamic is matey and punchy, with lots of high jinks and backslapping. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matey
  1. warm
  2. friendly
  3. merry
Adjective
  • Sets can be planted in containers when the soil is 60ºF or warmer.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 July 2026
  • Her family, who emigrated from the Congo, described her smile as warm, her demeanor as gentle.
    — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026
Definition of warm
Adjective
  • The real-estate people who stand to profit from conversion projects claim (unsurprisingly) that adding union-friendly requirements would make their math impossible, effectively killing a program that is already bearing fruit.
    — Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026
  • But astronaut Stu Roosa started a friendly collaboration that spanned the country and continues today.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • Four hundred years later, a merry band of scientists and entrepreneurs of mind-altering intoxicants are plunging even deeper into the diabolical by mechanizing DMT’s delivery via IV syringe pumps.
    — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 July 2026
  • No decision fatigue or awkward conversations to be had; the more, the merrier, baby!
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 6 July 2026
Definition of merry

Browse Nearby Words

mates
matey
math
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Cite this Entry

“Matey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matey. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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