Bloke vs. Guy — What's the Difference?

Often implies familiarity and warmth.

A common term for a male person, used globally.

A British informal term for a man.

Used in both singular and plural forms to address mixed groups.

Suggests an adult male with a laid-back personality.

Can refer to males of any age group.

Used to describe a regular, ordinary man.

Neutral in terms of formality and setting.

Primarily used in informal settings.

Frequently appears in American media and conversations.

Bloke is a slang term for a common man in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The earliest known usage is from the early 19th century, when it was recorded as a London slang term.

A figure representing Guy Fawkes, burnt on a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night, and often displayed by children begging for money for fireworks.

A fellow; a man.

A man

(Australia) An exemplar of a certain masculine, independent male archetype.

A rope or line fixed to the ground to secure a tent or other structure.

A fellow, a man; especially an ordinary man, a man on the street.

Make fun of; ridicule

(A lower deck term for) the captain or executive officer of a warship, especially one regarded as tough on discipline and punishment.

Secure with a guy or guys

An anglophone (English-speaking) man.

A rope, cord, or cable used to steady, guide, or secure something.

A man who is (usually) old and/or eccentric

(Informal) A man; a fellow.

Chiefly British A person of odd or grotesque appearance or dress.

Often Guy An effigy of Guy Fawkes paraded through the streets of English towns and burned on Guy Fawkes Day.

To steady, guide, or secure with a rope, cord, or cable.

To hold up to ridicule; mock.

(British) An effigy of a man burned on a bonfire on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot (5th November).

(dated) A person of eccentric appearance or dress; a "fright".

(colloquial) A man, fellow.

A person see usage notes.

Character, personality (not referring to a person, but pretending to)

Buster, Mack, fella, bud, man.

A guide; a leader or conductor.

A support rope or cable used to aid in hoisting or lowering.

A support to secure or steady structures prone to shift their position or be carried away (e.g. the mast of a ship or a suspension bridge).

(intransitive) To exhibit an effigy of Guy Fawkes around the 5th November.

(transitive) To make fun of, to ridicule with wit or innuendo.

To play in a comedic manner.

To equip with a support cable.

A rope, chain, or rod attached to anything to steady it; as: a rope to steady or guide an object which is being hoisted or lowered; a rope which holds in place the end of a boom, spar, or yard in a ship; a chain or wire rope connecting a suspension bridge with the land on either side to prevent lateral swaying; a rod or rope attached to the top of a structure, as of a derrick, and extending obliquely to the ground, where it is fastened.

A grotesque effigy, like that of Guy Fawkes, dressed up in England on the fifth of November, the day of the Gunpowder Plot.

A person of queer looks or dress.

A man or young man; a fellow; - usually contrasted with gals or girls as, it was fun for both the guys and gals; the guys were watching football while the girls played bridge.

To steady or guide with a guy.

To fool; to baffle; to make (a person) an object of ridicule.

An informal term for a youth or man;

An effigy of Guy Fawkes that is burned on a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day

A rope or cable that is used to brace something (especially a tent)

Subject to laughter or ridicule;

Steady or support with with a guy wire or cable;

In casual speech, "guys" can be used gender-neutrally to address a group, including groups of women.

Bloke is typically reserved for informal contexts and is less likely to appear in formal writing.

Yes, guy can be used to refer to young males and is not restricted to adults.

In Australia, "bloke" also carries connotations of masculinity and ruggedness, similar to its use in the UK, but it may be more emblematic of the traditional Australian "Aussie" persona.

While generally acceptable, the use of "guy" should be considered based on the tone and formality of the communication; more neutral terms might be preferred in very formal contexts.

Synonyms for "bloke" include chap, fellow, or lad in British English; for "guy," alternatives might be dude, fella, or man.

There's no direct feminine equivalent to "bloke," but "gal" can sometimes serve as a counterpart to "guy."

Bloke is understood in American English but is rarely used compared to "guy."

A speaker might choose "bloke" to convey a casual, friendly tone or to emphasize British cultural identity, especially in informal dialogue.

Many languages have informal terms for "man" but direct equivalents that carry the same connotations as "bloke" or "guy" may vary; for instance, "tipo" in Italian or "Kerl" in German might be loosely comparable to "guy."

Using "bloke" in formal or professional settings, especially outside the UK or Australia, may be inappropriate due to its casual and colloquial nature.

Historically, "guy" referred specifically to a man or boy, but its usage has broadened to include gender-neutral references, especially in the plural form to address groups.

The use of "bloke" can signal a speaker's British or Australian identity, and it may be less familiar or carry different nuances in other English-speaking regions.

In media, "bloke" is often used to depict a specifically British character type, while "guy" is a more universally applicable term in American and international contexts.

Yes, "guy" can be used in a general sense for someone whose identity is unknown, not necessarily restricted to males.