uncle
gb/ˈʌŋkəl/ us/ˈʌŋkəl/
A1
English
~ 7300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
brother of your mother or father
The brother of your mother or father, or the husband of your mother's or father's sister.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s uncle
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "uncle" with "cousin". An "uncle" is your parent's brother (or their sister's husband); a "cousin" is the child of your uncle or aunt. Learners may also call any older man an "uncle" in English, which can sound strange unless he is a family friend or real relative; in most cases "man" or "sir" is more natural for strangers.
Synonyms
relative (More general; means any family member, not specifically a parent's brother.)
Antonyms
aunt (Female version of this family role, not a true opposite but the corresponding female relation.)
Collocations
my uncle
|your uncle
|uncle and aunt
|maternal uncle
|paternal uncle
|favorite uncle
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My uncle lives in Canada and visits us every summer.
- We invited my uncle and aunt to the wedding.
- Her uncle taught her how to drive when she turned eighteen.
- He inherited the house from his late uncle.
- Both my uncles on my father's side are doctors.
Learner examples
- My uncle has two children.
- I go fishing with my uncle every year.
- Her uncle is my English teacher.
- His uncle and aunt live in the same city.
- My mother has one brother, so I have one uncle.
Noun
A2
entity
2
older male family friend
An older man who is a close friend of your family and who you call "Uncle", even if he is not really family.
Usage pattern:
Uncle [first name]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think they should call any older man "uncle" in English, following patterns from their own language. In many English-speaking cultures, you usually use "Mr" plus the last name or just the first name for family friends, unless the family specifically prefers "Uncle".
Synonyms
family friend (General; does not include the idea that you address the person using a title like "Uncle".)
Antonyms
stranger (A person you do not know at all, the opposite of a close family friend.)
Collocations
Uncle John
|Uncle Mike
|like an uncle to me
|call him Uncle
|dear uncle
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I grew up calling our next-door neighbor "Uncle Ben" even though we weren't related.
- To the children, their mother's best friend was simply Uncle James.
- He's like an uncle to me, always giving advice and looking out for me.
- In our culture, children often call older family friends "Uncle" or "Auntie" as a sign of respect.
- Everyone called the friendly shopkeeper Uncle Ravi.
Learner examples
- I call my father's best friend Uncle Tom.
- She is not my real uncle, but I call her husband Uncle Alex.
- The children love Uncle David because he tells funny stories.
- In my country, we call close family friends uncle or aunt.
- He is like an uncle to me, but we are not family.
Noun
slang
C1
entity
3
slang for pawnbroker or fence
(Slang, old-fashioned) A person or shop that gives you money for things you leave with them, or that secretly buys stolen things to sell again.
Usage pattern:
the [uncle]
Common mistake:
This sense is slang and somewhat old-fashioned; learners may misunderstand it as a real family member if they see it in older British books. It is rarely used in modern everyday speech.
Synonyms
fence (Slang for a person who buys and sells stolen goods; does not usually include ordinary pawnbroking.)
Antonyms
police (The authorities who try to stop the buying and selling of stolen goods, so they are opposed in role.)
Collocations
take it to the uncle
|down at the uncle's
|sell it to the uncle
Themes
crime
|money
|law
|finance
Examples
- He told them to take the watches to the uncle and get what they could for them.
- The stolen jewelry ended up at a local uncle before the police tracked it down.
- In the old days, if you were short of cash you might sneak your coat down to the uncle.
- The thieves had an uncle who would move anything they stole.
Learner examples
- The thieves sold the gold to an uncle in the city.
- He took his watch to the uncle when he needed money.
- The police watched the uncle because many stolen things went there.
- They went to an uncle instead of a real shop.
Grammar
Dictionary form
uncle
IPA
GB/ˈʌŋkəl/
US/ˈʌŋkəl/
Syllables & stress
uncle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (uncle)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: uncle
- Plural: uncles
Word family
Expressions
Bob's your uncle
1/bˈɑbz jˈʊɹ ˈʌŋkəl/
idiom
informal
and that’s all; it’s easy
(Mainly British) Used after you explain simple steps, to mean "and then it’s done" or "it’s very easy".
Examples
- Just add hot water, wait three minutes, and Bob's your uncle.
- Take the second left, then the first right, and Bob's your uncle, you're at the station.
- Mix the ingredients, put it in the oven, and Bob's your uncle—dinner is ready.
everyone and his uncle
1/ˈɛvɹiwˌʌn ˈænd hˈɪz ˈʌŋkəl/
idiom
informal
very many people
Used to say that a lot of people, maybe too many, are doing something or are in a place.
Examples
- Everyone and his uncle seemed to be at the concert last night.
- These days, everyone and his uncle has a podcast.
- Everyone and his uncle is trying to get tickets for the final.
say uncle
1/sˈeɪ ˈʌŋkəl/
idiom
informal
admit defeat and give up
To admit that you cannot continue, usually in a game or fight, and ask the other person to stop.
Examples
- The kids kept tickling him until he finally said uncle.
- If you can't win, just say uncle and we’ll call it a day.
- He refused to say uncle, even when the training got really hard.
Uncle Sam
1/ˈʌŋkəl sˈæm/
fixed phrase
personification of the U.S. government
A name and picture used to represent the government of the United States, especially in politics and war posters.
Examples
- Many people say Uncle Sam should spend more on education.
- During the war, posters of Uncle Sam were used to ask men to join the army.
- He joked that Uncle Sam takes too much of his paycheck in taxes.