Babu

//ˈbɑːbuː// name, noun

name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A Hindu title of respect, equivalent to Mr., usually appended to the surname of a Hindu man. Hinglish, India, North

    "I could see Kana-babu’s sweet-shop at the end of their lane with absolute clarity."

  2. 2
    used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English ‘Mr’ wordnet
  3. 3
    an archetypical Indian bureaucrat, perceived as being corrupt, lazy or arrogant. India, derogatory

    "BBMP doesn’t have any elected representatives right now. So a babu has floated this tender to benefit his favourite businessmen."

  4. 4
    Originally, a Hindu gentleman employed to work as a clerk for the colonial administration; now, a clerk or low-ranking government official. India, historical

    "The Babu put on his cap and quietly dropped out of the window"

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

Synonyms

All synonyms
baboo

Example

More examples

"Traditional Rajasthan minstrels Babu and Seru annually travel to perform at the fair with their families. They have long been keen observers of the camel trade, and say a top camel can be worth 50,000 Indian rupees — just over $1,000."

Etymology

From Hindi बाबू (bābū).

Related phrases

babu English

More for "babu"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.