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
  • More than 1,300 heat records were matched or broken for maximum high temperatures and warm overnight lows across 40 states and territories over the four days.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Previous studies have shown that young white sharks prefer warmer waters and often leave nursery habitats when temperatures fall below certain thresholds.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of warm
Adjective
  • Both are beginner-friendly and simply require a little curiosity to get started.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
  • Keep scrolling to shop more new petite-friendly Quince finds.
    — Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of friendly
Adjective
  • Some may argue that the more the merrier applies as much to advocacy for social justice as to anything else.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
  • When former President Barack Obama addressed the massive, merry crowd at the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony on June 18, a few lines landed like a balm.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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