English - Hungarian

barbie

gb/bˈɑɹbi/ us/bˈɑɹbi/
B1 English
~ 9900
Barbie baba, grillezés, grill, cicababa
NOUN B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] plays with [a Barbie]
She still has the Barbie she got for her fifth birthday.
Még mindig megvan neki az a Barbie baba, amelyet az ötödik születésnapjára kapott.
The new Barbie movie has made the doll popular with adults again.
Az új Barbie-film miatt a baba újra népszerű lett a felnőttek körében.
My daughter loves dressing up her Barbie in different outfits.
He built a tiny wheelchair that fits a Barbie perfectly.
Learner examples
The child is playing with a Barbie.
A gyerek egy Barbie babával játszik.
I bought a new Barbie for my little sister.
Vettem egy új Barbie babát a kishúgomnak.
This Barbie has long blonde hair and a pink dress.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write "barbie" with a small letter when talking about the doll. In most cases it is written with a capital letter as a name: "Barbie". Some learners also confuse this meaning with the Australian word "barbie" for a barbecue.
Meaning
trademark fashion doll and character
Collocations
Barbie doll |play with Barbie |Barbie Dreamhouse |Barbie movie |Barbie collection |Barbie franchise
Synonyms
fashion doll (A general term for a doll with adult features and clothes; Barbie is one specific and very famous brand of fashion doll.)
Antonyms
action figure (An articulated toy figure, usually of a hero or character and often marketed to boys, contrasting with Barbie’s fashion-focused style.)
Themes
toys |children |popular culture |arts_entertainment |daily_life
Definition

The name of a very famous plastic fashion doll made by the company Mattel, and also the name of the main doll character.

A trademark name for a line of plastic fashion dolls produced by Mattel, often also used for the main doll character itself.

NOUN B2 INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] has [a] barbie
We’re having a barbie at the beach this weekend.
A hétvégén grillezünk a strandon.
He threw some sausages on the barbie while the kids played cricket.
Feldobott néhány kolbászt a grillre, miközben a gyerekek kriketteztek.
Do you want to come over for a barbie on Sunday afternoon?
Learner examples
In Australia, we often say "barbie" instead of "barbecue".
Ausztráliában gyakran a „barbie” szót használjuk a „barbecue” helyett.
They are cooking meat on the barbie in the garden.
A kertben húst sütnek a grillen.
We had a big barbie with friends by the river.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "barbie" always means the doll, and misunderstand Australian sentences like "We’ll put some prawns on the barbie." In Australian and New Zealand English, "barbie" here means a barbecue, not the toy.
Meaning
Australian slang for barbecue
Collocations
have a barbie |throw a barbie |on the barbie |shrimp on the barbie |sausages on the barbie
Synonyms
barbecue (The standard word in most varieties of English; "barbie" is mainly used in Australia and New Zealand and sounds more informal and friendly.)
Antonyms
indoor meal (A meal eaten inside and not cooked on an outdoor grill, contrasting with the outdoor, grilled nature of a barbie.)
Themes
food |daily life |australia |food_drink |daily_life
Definition

In Australian and New Zealand English, a casual word for a barbecue, the outdoor meal where you cook food on a metal grill, or the grill itself.

In Australian and New Zealand English, an informal word for a barbecue, meaning either the outdoor meal or the grill used for cooking.

C1 SLANG
3
Usage pattern:
call [someone] a barbie
He dismissed her as a barbie until he realised she ran her own company.
Eleinte csak cicababának tartotta, amíg rá nem jött, hogy a nő a saját cégét vezeti.
I’m tired of being treated like a barbie just because I wear makeup and heels.
Elegem van abból, hogy cicababaként kezelnek csak azért, mert sminket és magassarkút hordok.
The show is full of barbies who only talk about clothes and parties.
Learner examples
He called her a barbie, and she felt upset.
Cicababának nevezte, és ez rosszul esett neki.
Some people think a "barbie" cares only about clothes and looks.
Egyesek szerint egy „cicababa” csak a ruhákkal és a külsejével törődik.
Calling a woman a barbie can be rude.
Common mistake:
Learners may use this word without realising it can be insulting or sexist. It is safer not to call a real person a "barbie" unless you clearly know it will be taken as a joke. It should not be used to mean any woman who simply likes fashion.
Meaning
very pretty but shallow woman
Collocations
a total barbie |look like a barbie |call her a barbie |plastic barbie |Barbie stereotype
Synonyms
bimbo (Also slang and insulting; often stronger and more clearly negative than "barbie", which can sometimes focus more on appearance than on stupidity.)
Antonyms
tomboy (A girl or woman who likes activities and clothes usually linked with boys; often seen as the opposite of the very feminine, styled image of a "barbie".)
Themes
people |appearance |stereotypes |relationships |emotions |core_vocabulary
Definition

A slang word for a woman who looks very pretty and perfect, like the Barbie doll, but is seen as not very serious or not very intelligent. It can sound rude or sexist.

An informal and often disapproving term for a woman who is seen as very physically attractive, highly styled and stereotypically feminine, but lacking depth, seriousness, or intelligence.

Grammar
Dictionary form
barbie
IPA
GB/bˈɑɹbi/
US/bˈɑɹbi/
Syllables & stress
bar - bie (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (bar)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: barbie
  • Plural: barbies
Word family
Forms
barbies noun
Core family
barbecue noun A2
Related words
bbq noun barbecuer noun
Expressions

like a Barbie doll

1
/lˈaɪk ə bˈɑɹbi dˈɑl/
idiom informal

having a perfect, doll-like look

Used to say that someone looks very pretty and perfect, with neat hair, make-up, and clothes, similar to the Barbie doll.

Examples
  • With that long blonde hair and tiny waist, she looks like a Barbie doll.
  • The pop star was dressed like a Barbie doll in a bright pink outfit.
  • They styled the model so she would look like a Barbie doll for the photoshoot.

throw a shrimp on the barbie

1
/θɹˈoʊ ə ʃɹˈɪmp ˈɔn ðə bˈɑɹbi/
fixed phrase informal

cook shrimp on a barbecue

An informal phrase, mainly connected with Australia, meaning to cook shrimp on a barbecue outside. It is often used as a stereotype of Australian culture.

Examples
  • They joked that as soon as they landed in Sydney, they would throw a shrimp on the barbie.
  • The ad invited tourists to come to Australia and throw a shrimp on the barbie with the locals.

Barbie doll

1
/bˈɑɹbi dˈɑl/
idiom

Barbie brand fashion doll

A famous plastic doll with an adult female body, sold by the company Mattel.

Examples
  • She got a Barbie doll and a toy car for Christmas.
  • Many children around the world know the Barbie doll from movies and TV shows.

Barbie doll

2
/bˈɑɹbi dˈɑl/
idiom informal

very pretty, doll-like person

Used about a person, usually a woman, who looks very pretty and perfect, like the Barbie doll, and may be seen as not very serious or intelligent.

Examples
  • Everyone treated her like a Barbie doll until she spoke up in the meeting.
  • He said the new assistant looks like a Barbie doll, all pink clothes and perfect hair.
  • She hates being called a Barbie doll because it makes her feel like people don’t see her real skills.

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