plural boys
often attributive
1
a(1)
: a male child from birth to adulthood
a ten-year-old boy
(2)
: a child whose gender identity is male
Author Kyle Lukoff told Newsweek, Call Me Max and other books in the series are about a young trans boy figuring out who he is, making new friends, and sharing about himself with his family and community.—
Samantha Lock
Samantha Lock
b
: son
My older boy just got married.
Even though it made them uncomfortable to have their boy talked about all over town, secretly, Nick's mom and dad were pleased.—Andrew Clements
Andrew Clements
c
: an immature male
separate the men from the boys
a boy genius
2
3
chiefly US slang
: a close male friend
Now, the receiver is getting a second chance, thanks to old friend Tom Brady. "Tom is my boy," [Antonio] Brown said Wednesday during his introductory video press conference in Tampa.—Michael Hurley
Michael Hurley4
: a male domesticated animal and especially a pet
Leo is a 2-year-old pit bull mix. … He loves receiving attention, getting pets and being told he is a good boy.—The Denver Post
The Denver PostJean Greening greets the birds in the aviary with whistles, kissing noises, and the phrase, "Who's a pretty boy?"—Current Science
Current Science5
a
dated, offensive
: a male servant or an enslaved man
b
disparaging + offensive
—used to address a man of color and especially a Black man
Note: The deeply offensive use of the word boy to address an adult man of color has a strong association with sense 5a and is a term expressive of racist condescension.
Examples of boy in a Sentence
It's a boy! She gave birth to a baby boy this morning.
a nine-year-old boy named David
Okay, boys and girls, it's time to play a game.
Is this your little boy?
That's my boy! Good job, Son.
a group of teenage boys
My parents want me to meet a nice boy and get married.
Don't be so hard on him. He's just a boy.
a poor boy from the north
Wait till the boys back home hear about this!
Recent Examples on the Web
The scale of underage wagering is hard to measure, but a recent survey of 1,017 adolescent boys nationwide, found 36% gambled in the last year.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
However, Jack challenges his leadership and begins to draw other boys away, sending them on a course from hope to tragedy.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
In Fennell’s version, Cathy’s brother is dead by the time her father brings home a selectively mute boy, whom Cathy chooses to name Heathcliff after her deceased brother.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
But boy is Bezos leaning hard into his Bond villain perception lately.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The series follows a teenage boy who forms an unlikely alliance with the Fairy Queen of Celtic lore to search for malevolent mythical creatures from around the world, among them the Yeti, Baba Yaga and a Lady Dracula — not to destroy them, but to save them from impending doom.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Jefferson wrestlers won eight of 14 weight divisions to claim its 26th state championship in boys traditional wrestling Thursday night at The Arena at Southlake in Morrow.
—Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The work is about a young boy and a disillusioned spirit guide who doesn’t believe humanity is worth saving.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
However, Jack challenges his leadership and begins to draw other boys away, sending them on a course from hope to tragedy.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
In Fennell’s version, Cathy’s brother is dead by the time her father brings home a selectively mute boy, whom Cathy chooses to name Heathcliff after her deceased brother.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
But boy is Bezos leaning hard into his Bond villain perception lately.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The series follows a teenage boy who forms an unlikely alliance with the Fairy Queen of Celtic lore to search for malevolent mythical creatures from around the world, among them the Yeti, Baba Yaga and a Lady Dracula — not to destroy them, but to save them from impending doom.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Jefferson wrestlers won eight of 14 weight divisions to claim its 26th state championship in boys traditional wrestling Thursday night at The Arena at Southlake in Morrow.
—Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The work is about a young boy and a disillusioned spirit guide who doesn’t believe humanity is worth saving.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
