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# sonny

noun (sonny — a form of address)

«sonny» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal, old-fashioned) A friendly or slightly bossy way an older person speaks to a boy or young man: «Listen, sonny». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#m1)
2. (a name) Sonny is also a nickname or first name. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories and films an older character says «sonny» to a boy, sometimes warmly, sometimes to sound in charge («Now look here, sonny!»). It can sound patronising if said to a grown man. «Sonny Jim» is a British jokey version.

### Examples

- "Off you go, sonny, and mind the road." [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x1)
- "Don't you talk back to me, sonny!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x2)
- The old fisherman said, "Want to hold the rod, sonny?" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x3)
- "Sit down, Sonny Jim," laughed Grandad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x4)
- Sonny is the name of the dog next door. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x5)
- "Here's your change, sonny," said the man at the market stall. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x6)
- ‘Look here, sonny: if we share this cake we shall neither of us have enough. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x7)

### Note

Used only when speaking to someone, not as «a sonny». Not the same as «sunny» (full of sunshine), though they sound alike — homophones.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sonny» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sonny» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sonny.html) on Mova free.