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 eldest Brady boy decides he's had enough before the family realizes the error in their ways and make the movie in full Pilgrim garb just as Greg wanted.
—Allison Sadlier, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
If your teenager—especially your teen boy—is using mogging to compare themselves to their peers or influencers, and changes their appearance or personality to imitate those people, the pressure to 'mog' might be harming their self-esteem.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 22 Nov. 2025
Sanford says that boy sent the video of the attack on her son to her, taunting her.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
Justin and Hailey Bieber are proud parents to their baby boy Jack Blues.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
Beyond Leonard's invaluable tutelage, all 50 boys and girls were gifted a fresh pair of signature Leonard New Balances.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
As with many tween boys, consideration doesn’t appear to be Khaled’s strong suit.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
The director captures the town’s desolation and strife through magical realist imagery mixed with flashes of religious iconography, revealing how such a place can still seem enchanting for a young boy who grew up there.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025
Four people are dead, including a baby boy and his older brother, in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide ambush at a northern Ohio home.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
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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Allison Sadlier, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
If your teenager—especially your teen boy—is using mogging to compare themselves to their peers or influencers, and changes their appearance or personality to imitate those people, the pressure to 'mog' might be harming their self-esteem.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 22 Nov. 2025
Sanford says that boy sent the video of the attack on her son to her, taunting her.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
Justin and Hailey Bieber are proud parents to their baby boy Jack Blues.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
Beyond Leonard's invaluable tutelage, all 50 boys and girls were gifted a fresh pair of signature Leonard New Balances.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
As with many tween boys, consideration doesn’t appear to be Khaled’s strong suit.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
The director captures the town’s desolation and strife through magical realist imagery mixed with flashes of religious iconography, revealing how such a place can still seem enchanting for a young boy who grew up there.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025
Four people are dead, including a baby boy and his older brother, in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide ambush at a northern Ohio home.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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