noun
Uncommon
Benz
behnz
Benz (noun) means informal shorthand for a Mercedes-Benz car. Example: “He just picked up a new Benz for his birthday.”
noun
1
Informal shorthand for a Mercedes-Benz car.
"It was a Benz, an unusual car in this neighborhood, blue with a thick white stripe bisecting the hood, the roof, and the trunk."
— Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007)
"He just picked up a new Benz for his birthday."
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like Benz.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- Benzes
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He just picked up a new _____ for his birthday.
Etymology
From the German surname Benz, after Karl Benz, a pioneer of the automobile and co-founder of what became Mercedes-Benz.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “Benz” mean?
The word “Benz” means informal shorthand for a Mercedes-Benz car.
How do you pronounce “Benz”?
“Benz” is pronounced behnz (/bɛnz/ in IPA).
How do you use “Benz” in a sentence?
Here is “Benz” used in a sentence: “He just picked up a new Benz for his birthday.”
What part of speech is “Benz”?
“Benz” is a noun.
Where does the word “Benz” come from?
The word “Benz” comes from German. From the German surname Benz, after Karl Benz, a pioneer of the automobile and co-founder of what became Mercedes-Benz.
Is “Benz” a common word?
“Benz” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between Benz and Mercedes-Benz?
Benz is informal shorthand for a Mercedes-Benz car, used in casual speech to refer to the full brand name more quickly. Mercedes-Benz is the complete, formal name of the manufacturer, while Benz alone is a colloquial abbreviation.
Is Benz a formal or informal term?
Benz is informal. It would be used in casual conversation rather than in official or written descriptions of the car brand, where Mercedes-Benz or Mercedes is preferred.
Is Benz always capitalized?
Yes, since it refers to the Mercedes-Benz brand name, Benz is capitalized even when used informally.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include Benz:
