[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sonny.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / sonny

[← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/)

# sonny

«sonny» in Mova's school dictionary: **A friendly or slightly bossy way an older person speaks…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (sonny — a form of address)

### meaning for a pupil

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

2) (a name) Sonny is also a nickname or first name. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#m2)

### sense 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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x1)
- "Don't you talk back to me, sonny!" [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x2)
- The old fisherman said, "Want to hold the rod, sonny?" [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x3)
- "Sit down, Sonny Jim," laughed Grandad. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/#x4)
- Sonny is the name of the dog next door. [tree →](https://md.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://md.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://md.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.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «sonny» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sonny/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.