ladudes

Ladudes is a slang term used to describe a group of male friends or companions, typically in informal, friendly contexts. The word combines lad, a British/Irish/Australian term for a boy or young man, with dude, a widely used American English term for a man.

Origin and spread are not attributed to a single source; the form appears in online slang and memes from the 2010s onward. It is most commonly encountered in casual speech, group chats, video calls, and social media posts among young men, though it may be used playfully by others as well.

Usage and connotations vary by context. Ladudes usually conveys camaraderie and sociable, lighthearted energy; it can describe a collective activity (playing games, going out) or a self-identified group name. The tone ranges from affectionate to humorous, and it is generally not used in formal writing.

Regional usage is uneven; the term is more prevalent in English-speaking online communities and adolescent-to-young-adult circles, particularly in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Criticism and limitations: as a gendered term, ladudes excludes women and non-binary people and can be perceived as juvenile or exclusionary in certain contexts, leading some speakers to avoid it in mixed company or professional settings.