Geezer Meaning British Slang (With Examples)

There is a lot of British slang out there to learn. If you’re from the United States, you’d honestly be surprised at how drastically different British English is compared to what you’re used to hearing.

It’s honestly like a whole other language. A lot of the words common in the US have a totally different meaning over in the UK, and geezer is one of them.

If we asked you to explain what geezer meant, you’d probably say something like, “an old man.” While that may be correct in the states, it means something else entirely across the pond. In this post, we’ll be explaining geezer’s meaning in British slang, as well as providing examples on how to use it in a sentence.

What Does Geezer Mean in British Slang?

In the United States, geezer commonly means an old man and it’s usually an insulting term. However, things are quite a bit different over in Great Britain.

The word geezer in the UK can be used to refer to pretty much any man, young or old. Even more drastically different, geezer is occasionally used as a compliment for an outstanding guy.

That’s not to say that geezer is never insulting. Some treat it as a mildly negative term for the men in their lives, although this isn’t just limited to older gentlemen.

Now, if you’d like to learn more about how to use British slang to insult someone, you can look at our list of British slang insults.

Examples of How to Use Geezer

Geezer can be used in a few different ways. The first way is commonly for just about any man you’ll meet, regardless of his age. This version has a neutral meaning with no negative connotations.

You would say it something like this: “There was some geezer waiting outside the pub.”

Depending on your tone of voice with the above sentence, you can make geezer sound purely neutral or a bit more negative. It’s up to you based on whatever your intent is.

In rare cases, the word geezer is actually a compliment. You’ll want to use some complementary words around it or a positive tone to indicate that’s the case with a sentence like this: “Paul is a bloody brilliant geezer.”

Wrap Up

If anything, the word geezer teaches us not to make assumptions. Many people are used to hearing the word used in a pejorative fashion. However, in British terminology, the word is not only generally neutral – it can, on occasion, be positive!

British slang is incredibly interesting. If you’re interested in picking up some more slang terms, we’ve created a comprehensive list of British slang words and phrases for your perusal.