bad boy

noun

plural bad boys

1

: a person who flouts convention

a literary bad boy

The band always has reveled in its reputation as the bad boys of rock, something that undoubtedly has kept them going for seven decades.

—Mike Patterson

2

informal : something that is very good, impressive, effective, etc.

However, it's possible to pair two of these speakers for a superwide stereo soundstage. If you happen to have the budget and acreage (and amenable neighbors), you can even wirelessly connect up to 30 of these bad boys.

—Scott Tharler

Two or three of these bad boys covered with onions and cilantro … will set me up until dinner …

—Hannah Wilson, quoted at Axios

Examples of bad boy in a Sentence

He has become known as the bad boy of the American television industry.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yup, these bad boys are stretchy through and through, complete with an elastic waistband, yet somehow still look genuinely polished. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026

Wendy immediately runs into old flame Chuck (Cory Michael Smith), who literally just got back to town the day before and, no longer a bad boy, begins by proposing marriage and seven children. — Vadim Rizov, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Because, dear wife, these bad boys are 110 W RMS and can push 220 W peak. — Joe Salas august 28, New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026

Barton takes on the role of Fletch, the camp’s bad boy and Sage’s love interest, in Camp Rock 3. — Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bad boy

• ahoy
• alloy
• annoy
• carboy
• convoy
• cowboy
• decoy
• deploy
• destroy
• employ
• employe
• enjoy