Bro is short for brother. It is used between male friends, sometimes between strangers. "Bro, check this out." It signals casual intimacy. It can be warm or aggressive. "Bro, you're wrong" is a challenge. "Bro, I got you" is support. The tone decides. The word is a chameleon.

Bro culture is a phrase for a certain kind of masculinity: loud, loyal, sometimes exclusionary. Frat boys are bros. Surfers are bros. Gamers are bros. The word has spread beyond its original meaning. Women sometimes call each other bro. It is not strictly male anymore. It is a vibe. It is casual, unbothered, and slightly rowdy.

Related terms

• Bruh: an exclamation of disbelief.
• Brah: a surfer pronunciation.
• Bro code: informal rules among male friends.
• Broken: a state of being overwhelmed, slang.

Bro can be a filler word. "Bro, I don't know." It can be a greeting. "Bro!" It can be a term of address for someone whose name you forgot. It is flexible and forgiving. It is also mocked. The overuse of "bro" is a stereotype. But in the right mouth, it is just a word. It means friend. It means brother. It means you are not alone.