Words / A2

MAYT/meɪt/

A mate is a friend in informal British English: a mate from work, Cheers, mate, my mates. Friend is the neutral cousin. Colleague is work-only. Partner can mean a boyfriend, girlfriend, or husband/wife — not the same as mate. Do not write mate when you mean meat, or made.

Meaning

A friend (informal British English).

Examples

• “I am going to the match with my mates.”
• “Ask your mate to save us a seat on the coach.”
• “He went climbing with a mate from college.”

Good to know

a mate from work / my mates (informal British). Neutral: friend. Mix-up: meat.

Near in meaning

friend

New