What does brogue mean?
A brogue has two well-established meanings in modern English. The older and more figurative sense is a distinctive regional accent — most famously an Irish or Scottish brogue — referring to the characteristic pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation that mark a speaker's origins. The second sense is concrete: a brogue is a style of sturdy leather shoe, typically brown and low-heeled, decorated with rows of small perforations known as broguing. Originally a practical outdoor shoe from Scotland and Ireland, it evolved into smart-casual footwear worn widely in Britain and beyond. Both senses trace back to the same source: the Irish word 'bróg,' meaning shoe. The link between footwear and accent is debated but charmingly persistent in popular imagination. Today the plural 'brogues' is standard for the shoes, while the singular is usual for the accent. The word carries warmth and local colour, evoking heritage, place, and identity, and remains common in both everyday speech and writing about dialect and fashion.
nounA brogue is a strong regional accent, especially an Irish or Scottish accent when speaking English. It also refers to a sturdy leather shoe decorated with perforated patterns (broguing), traditionally worn in Scotland and Ireland.
- A strong regional accent, particularly a marked Irish or Scottish way of pronouncing English.
- A sturdy, low-heeled leather shoe characterized by decorative perforations (broguing), originally from Scotland and Ireland.
"Despite decades in London, she had never lost her soft Donegal brogue."
"His broad Cork brogue made him instantly recognizable on the phone."
"He polished his brown brogues before the interview."
The plural 'brogues' is standard when referring to the shoes. When referring to the accent, the singular 'brogue' is normally used, though plural forms appear when speaking of multiple people's accents.
"He wore his best brogues to the wedding."
The word for an Irish accent may literally come from the Irish word for 'shoe' — as if the accent were something you could slip on and off.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brogue
Both main senses of 'brogue' derive from the Irish word 'bróg' (Scottish Gaelic 'bròg'), meaning a rough shoe, itself probably borrowed from Old Norse 'brók,' meaning a leg covering. The footwear sense entered English around the early seventeenth century to describe the coarse hide shoes worn in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, later narrowing to today's perforated dress shoe. How this came to denote an accent is uncertain; one theory links it facetiously to the notion that speakers of Irish-accented English 'wore' the language like a shoe, though the true origin of that transfer is unverified.
Related word forms
How brogue is actually used
In the sense of an accent, 'brogue' most often collocates with Irish English, though Scottish usage is well attested; it can carry a slightly affectionate or picturesque connotation but should be used respectfully. In British English, 'brogues' commonly refers to the shoes in the plural; American English more often uses 'wingtips' for the similar style. The accent sense is informal-to-neutral in register.
Easily confused with brogue
'Vogue' means fashion or popularity, while 'brogue' refers to either a regional accent or a style of perforated leather shoe.
A 'rogue' is a dishonest or mischievous person, whereas 'brogue' denotes an accent or a type of shoe.